In Quincy, Washington, agriculture is a key industry, with its landscape dominated by apple, cherry, and peach orchards. The city, home to approximately 8,000 residents, features packing sheds in its downtown area and is situated near railroad tracks that run alongside the Columbia River, facilitating the transport of produce to market.
Alberto, a farm worker who prefers to use only his first name for privacy, represents the core of the agricultural workforce in Quincy. Having transitioned from a migrant farm worker across California and Washington to a permanent resident in Quincy, Alberto has found stable employment in the area's farms. This stability has allowed him and other domestic farm workers to establish a close-knit community within Grant County.
However, there is growing concern among domestic workers like Alberto regarding the increasing employment of H-2A workers, foreign agricultural laborers permitted to work temporarily in the U.S. under a federal program established in the late 1980s. The H-2A program's expansion, especially under the Trump administration's designation of farm workers as essential during the pandemic, has led to fears of displacement among domestic workers.
Alberto's experience reflects a broader trend where domestic farm workers are seeing reduced hours and job opportunities, partly due to employers' preference for H-2A workers, who are often less likely to take time off for family commitments. Alejandro Gutierrez-Li, an economist at North Carolina State University, notes the program's growth nationwide, is driven by factors such as an aging domestic farm workforce, reluctance among U.S. workers to take agricultural jobs, and immigration crackdowns.
The H-2A program's expansion in Washington state is evident, with significant increases in certified H-2A workers in both Grant County and the state overall. Despite the high costs associated with employing H-2A workers, including housing, transportation, and food, many growers find the program beneficial for its provision of a reliable labor force.
Community to Community (C2C), a grassroots organization, has raised awareness about the potential impacts of the H-2A program on local farm worker communities, particularly in terms of job displacement. C2C's efforts include campaigns to educate smaller farm worker communities about the program and its implications.
Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ), an independent labor union, highlights the importance of organizing both domestic and H-2A farm workers to address shared challenges, such as increased productivity quotas that effectively reduce pay. Alberto, now working in blueberry harvesting, underscores the need for solidarity among workers, emphasizing that the issue lies with the system rather than the workers themselves.
Source: The Guardian