Lawmakers Look to Boost Broadband in Rural Areas (NSF/TALLAHASSEE/January 24, 2022) — Florida lawmakers are looking to use at least $400 million in federal stimulus money to to help broadband providers expand services to mostly rural, underserved areas. But don’t expect to see the money reduce rates for customers. The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee on Monday unanimously supported measures …
Latest Challenges Related to Ag Labor
We told you last month that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 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. That is slightly higher than the 2.2% annual growth rate projected for the entire U.S. economy. But according to a story from Rod Bain, the complexity …
A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer
As we celebrate Christmas this year, Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman brings back an old favorite, “A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer” written by S. Omar Barker. A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PRAYERby S. Omar Barker (1895-1985) I ain’t much good at prayin’,and You may not know me, Lord —For I ain’t much seen in churches,where they preach Thy Holy Word.But you may have observed …
New H-2A Labor Wages Effective Dec. 29
A recent issue of the Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter provided information about the wage that growers must pay H-2A labor, effective Dec. 29. H-2A workers are foreign agricultural workers who are allowed to work in the United States temporarily. In recent years, the vast majority of Florida citrus has been harvested by H-2A workers. The Employment and Training Administration …
DeSantis Takes Aim at Federal Immigration Policies
(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.; …