US LABOUR:

BUSH ADMINISTRATION H2A PROPOSAL IS NOTHING MORE THAN GUTTING OF EXISTING WORKER PROTECTIONS:

This week the US Department of Labor announced what it calls "the most significant overhaul of the nation's agricultural guest worker program in two decades". This new proposals is, according to the United Farm Workers, "nothing more than the gutting of existing protections for both domestic and foreign workers". The overhaul will result in lower wages and worse working conditions for farm workers. The DOL's proposals include an easing of standards that framers must follow to show that they have tried to hire domestic workers first. It also lowers wages and labor protections for incoming guest workers. The UFW have proposed an alternative, their AgJOBS program, and they intend to carry on a campaign to have this legislative alternative passed in the near future. It already has the bipartisan support of a majority in Congress. The UFW have called on their supporters to pressure the Department of Labor to abandon this regressive measure. to learn more and to join this campaign go to http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/dol208 .