The winter has brought a temporary lull in the farm labor shortage caused by Alabama’s tough immigration law, but the clock is ticking fast.
John McMillan, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries presided today over a conference designed to help farmers find workers for their fields.
“I feel like I’m running the eHarmony show or something,” quipped McMillan, referring to the popular online dating service.
McMillan said he chose to hold today’s event at the Jon Archer Agricultural Center in Mobile because as early as January, the nursery industry in Mobile and Baldwin counties will be looking for laborers as the sector’s growing season begins.
“Our success or lack of success here is going to determine whether we do this same thing later in other parts of the state,” he said.
Farmers have voiced among the loudest complaints since the state’s immigration law took effect in October. Many growers have said that the law has scared away even legal immigrants who used to perform the manual labor in their fields.
This afternoon’s conference offered few new ideas, but leaders in several realms used the forum to push ideas that could expand the supply of workers available to the agriculture industry.
Those include the use of current and former prisoners; foreign workers on temporary visas and the unemployed. A local minister even pledged to help organize churches in the black community to match out-of-work parishioners with agricultural businesses.
“If we’re going to replace that labor force in Alabama, we have got to figure out a way to do it,” McMillan said. “I think the people we have up here are the best options.”
Several farmers expressed skepticism, however, that any of the initiatives would be sufficient.
Jamie Holland, who owns a nursery in Lucedale, Mississippi, said political leaders seem to not to appreciate the disconnect between a job and work. He said Americans are ill-suited to the type of work that migrant workers perform. Farmers need a reliable workforce, he said, not a constant churn of workers who stick around only a few days.
“We’re looking for a sustainable workforce,” he said. “The work ethic in the United States is the problem.”
Bill Atkinson, an agribusiness owner, asks a question during a forumHolland said he uses a temporary work visa program to hire seasonal migrant workers. But he said the process is onerous and costly -- $500 to $700 per man each season, not including what he pays in wages and a housing costs for the laborers. And he said he doubts the pool of available workers though the program is large enough to meet the needs of farmers in Alabama or Mississippi.
Phillip Barnhill, who also owns a nursery in Lucedale, said American workers want jobs that are permanent and offer opportunities for promotion. Farm jobs tend to be seasonal and limited, he said.
“There isn’t going to be any chance for any kind of advancement,” he said.
Those drawbacks have not stopped Alabama officials from trying to fill the gap, however.
Bob Brantley, Alabama’s employment services director, said his agency has collected résumés since October from some 500 people who have expressed interest in temporary agricultural work. He said those résumés are on the agency’s website, joblink.alabama.gov, along with about 800 people have expressed interest in agriculture work of any kind.
“It’s been a great while since we’ve reached out to the agricultural community,” he said. “We want to hear from you.”
Jeff Williams, the deputy commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections, told several dozen people that the state has 2,600 inmates participating in work-release programs. He acknowledged, though, that few them traditionally have been in agriculture.
The U.S attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, Kenyen Brown, used Tuesday as an opportunity to tout a program he launched this year to encourage employers to hire ex-cons.
Brown said people coming out of prison – which is about 97 percent of the inmates who are incarcerated – need housing, drug treatment and jobs.
“That’s what I’m here to talk to you about. Jobs are very important,” he said.
Brown said if farmers – and other employers – give ex-cons a chance, they can help themselves and society at the same time. The vast majority of former prisoners who maintain steady jobs turn away from crime, he said.
While Alabama’s immigration law has gained the most attention, changes in federal law will impact the agriculture and related industries, as well. Soon, employers across the country will be required to use the federal E-Verify system and maintain detailed records to ensure that their employees are citizens or legal immigrants.
Chris Francis, who owns Chris Francis Landscapes in Daphne, said he has few immigrants on staff and does not use temporary labor. As a result, the state immigration law is mostly a non-issue. But he said he E-Verify requirements mean more red tape.
“My mom and my dad work for me, and I’m going to have to E-Verify both of them,” he said.
As for the Alabama law, one person in the audience asked McMillan what the cost will be if the state cannot figure out a workable way to address the labor shortages it has caused.
McMillan answered that he does not have a figure. “It’s going to be a substantial economic impact in Alabama,” he said.
This is a load of crap. Nobody wanted these jobs to begin with, which is how the immigrants ended up with them. Most Americans would rather draw unemployment and welfare than to pick a potato. Alabama got rid of the farm workers and now the very same people who were saying they couldn't find because of the Hispanics won't take the jobs.
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