(TALLAHASSEE/NSF/Dec 10, 2021) — Gov. Ron DeSantis focused on national politics Friday as he rolled out a series of proposals for the upcoming 2022 legislative session aimed at the border policies of President Joe Biden. DeSantis called for state lawmakers to “fight against the Biden border crisis” by passing legislation to expand a law targeting so-called “sanctuary cities” and to …
Agricultural Guestworkers, the Pandemic, and Vaccinations
We’ve all heard stories of how disruptive the impacts of COVID-19 have been on the U.S. agricultural system. While they have been broad and varied, the pandemic has been a big issue when it comes to ag labor. As Rod Bain reports, farm guestworkers and their employers have really been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic, especially when it comes to vaccination …
Agriculture Output and Labor Growth Projected
Real output in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting labor sector is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.3% from 2020 to 2030, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently reported. That’s slightly higher than the 2.2% annual growth rate projected for the entire U.S. economy. According to the report, the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector is …
John Deere Factory Workers Approve New Contract
Factory workers at Deere & Co. ended their month-long strike Wednesday by approving the third contract offer after rejecting the two previous offers. The United Auto Workers (UAW) said 10,000 members ratified a new six-year contract offer by a vote of 61 percent to 39 percent. UAW says the deal includes a $8,500 signing bonus, a 20% increase in wages …
Deere Workers to Vote on Third Tentative Agreement
The United Auto Workers (UAW) and John Deere have reached a third tentative agreement. The first two agreements were rejected by Deere workers during this strike. UAW released a statement on Friday saying this new agreement includes “modest modifications” to the second offer which was previously turned down in a 55%-to-45% vote. According to a UAW statement, “John Deere and Company has …
Keep Food Local & Affordable Act Introduced
U.S. Representative Greg Steube of Florida recently introduced the Keep Food Local and Affordable Act to combat the recent rise in food prices due to historic labor shortages and inflation. This legislation would implement a temporary stay on the H-2A adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) for states struggling to find domestic workers. The H-2A program allows temporary foreign workers in the U.S.; …
Ag Labor Reform Hindered by Regional Differences
The issue of ag labor legislation reform will remain unresolved as long as southeastern growers and western growers don’t come to a compromise, says Bob Redding. Redding, who works for the Redding Firm and serves as a lobbyist for agricultural groups in Washington, D.C., believes compromise is the only way true reform will happen with such a contentious issue. “If …
Survey: 54% of Equipment Dealers Don’t Support Deere Strike
A majority of equipment dealers don’t support striking John Deere workers, according to a recent poll from Farm Equipment Magazine. The poll found roughly 54 percent of dealers indicated they do not support the strike, while 37 percent said they did, and 8.5 percent weren’t sure. Deere workers have rejected two tentative contract agreements since the strike began. UAW members …
Deere Employees Reject Deal, Continue Strike
Deere and Company employees this week again rejected a tentative contract agreement. By a vote of 45 percent yes to 55 percent no, United Auto Workers John Deere members voted down the agreement. UAW says the strike will continue as they discuss next steps with the company. This is the second tentative contract agreement rejected by Deere workers during the …
Deere, UAW, Reach Tentative Agreement
Deere & Co and United Auto Workers International reached a tentative new contract. The agreement could lead to the end of a worker strike. The deal was announced over the weekend, but needs to be approved by UAW members first. Chuck Browning, UAW Vice President and Director of the Agricultural Implement Department, says the agreement contains enhanced economic gains and …