To the Editor:
The Secretary of Agriculture is trying to reduce wages for farm workers. These farm workers work long, hard, labor-intensive jobs that do not attract many U.S. citizens. Immigrant farm workers with a status of H-2A are allowed to work in the United States to fill that vital role in the U.S. food supply chain.
Many of us rely upon a living wage to meet the needs of our family. Reducing the amount of the farm workers’ paycheck likely holds them to that job as a source of at least some income for their families. This is like being held in bondage or a form of labor trafficking.
In the 1970s, farm workers who picked grapes began a grape boycott because of pesticide sprays. My family and many others did not buy grapes for some time due to the boycott, which was successful. What would be the outcome if farm workers now decided to begin a boycott? What would that do to the U.S. food supply chain?
It is time to raise our voices to our elected officials to not allow workers’ wages to be reduced.
Nora Dvorak
Davenport
