Friday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m.
Dozens protest Republican proposal to bring hundreds of thousands of laborers through new guest worker program
Oxnard, CA – Dozens of people, led by the United Farm Workers, will protest Friday in front of the office of Rep. Elton Gallegly in Camarillo to denounce efforts by House Republican leaders to create a new guest worker program that would allow the agriculture industry to import half a million temporary workers.
The proposal for a new guest worker program came as a result of strong opposition from agricultural employers and businesses to the Republicans’ E-Verify measure. Last week the House Judiciary Committee approved the E-verify plan and it is now headed for a House vote. E-Verify would require all employers to use the federal government’s web-based system to check whether a prospective employee is authorized to work in the United States.
To appease growers, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and House Judiciary Committee Member Dan Lungren (R-California) introduced bills that would replace the current guest worker program, which legally brings foreign workers to farms across the nation, for a new one that would allow 500,000 guest worker visas per year and ease wage, housing and transportation requirements.
“The UFW strongly opposes a new guest worker program with little government oversight. A new guest worker program would create two new problems – even more people looking for work and fewer protections for farm workers. The UFW has fought for decades to improve the working conditions of farm workers and the proposed guest worker program would destroy all that,” said UFW President Arturo Rodriguez.
Protesters want Gallegly, a Republican co-sponsor of the E-Verify measure, to oppose the new guest worker program proposal.
“Growers would be able to pay guest workers minimum wage instead of the prevailing wage, thus making it hard even for authorized farm workers to compete and earn a living wage,” Rodriguez added.
WHAT: Dozens protest proposal for new massive guest worker program
WHO: UFW members, advocacy groups and students
WHERE: Office of Rep. Elton Gallegly, 5051 Verdugo Way, Suite 120, Camarillo, CA 93012
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m.