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"These farmers are breaking the law and they know it"
Not all. Once again lumping every Coffee Farmer (or any other group of people) into one category is not accurate. I detest generalizations so will attempt to clarify.
My friend owns several acres of Kona Coffee Farm she bought in the 60's and her workers have every advantage afforded to any legal worker and more.
They do not work 14 hour days. They live in new houses built for them. (Unlike the owner who lives in a ramshackle ancient coffee shack.)They are well paid and pay taxes. They have Medical Insurance. They get a share of the profits. Their wives are NOT "up for grabs". They had the assistance of their boss in getting US Citizenship decades ago. They love their work, their home and they way they're treated. They are well respected and appreciated as the assets they are to the farm by the owner.
If you actually know a Coffee Farmer who treats their workers the way you described JohnD, go ahead and boycott Kona Coffee.
I will continue to enjoy my Kona Coffee without remorse.
For years now the Hawaii or Kona coffee companies and farms have been looked at for widespread labor violations.
http://dailycoffeenews.com/2013/02/22/ha...iolations/
Even Mexican children as young as five are cherry picking for next to nothing.
http://www.konaearth.com/Life/2005/051016/
Many of The workers are having to sign documents signing away their rights to back payments.
https://www.manufacturing.net/news/2011/...orker-case
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Appears to be old data on the violations. As far as the description of how they work, it is not uncommon for a family to fly over for the season on a work visa, children learning their parents trade, and not slave labor. The way they work, it is their natural work ethic, as I have personally tried to get them to take a short morning, and afternoon break, with a minimum 1/2 hour lunch, and many refused telling me it is easier on their bodies if they just took enough time to eat a meal, and go back to complete their 8 hours of work, no breaks except to hydrate while they work. Even tried to entice them with a BBQ lunch, and still about only 20 minutes to a half hour maximum for lunch.
Once harvest was in, another story on the BBQ time.
Community begins with Aloha
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The article you linked, gypsy, lists between 7-9 coffee farms with labor violations.
There are now more than 650 coffee farms of all sizes clustered along the ±20 miles of scenic roads on the Hualalai and Mauna Loa slopes. Many of these farms offer tours to the public.
https://www.lovebigisland.com/kona-coffee-tasting/
Labor abuse by 9 out of 650 farms doesn't exactly seem to indicate the abuse is widespread.
In fact, back to the original post, Mr. Ortiz the "illegal" coffee farmer does not seem to be among the farms with labor problems. Apparently only legal U.S. citizens feel free to treat their workers abusively and illegally.
But we're stuck with them, because, laws for everyone.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
HOTPE, good afternoon to you.
The word you used in your last post WIDESPREAD was also used in this article.
https://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/whd/WHD20122264.htm
Maybe some think it's easy to compete in the Kona Coffee industry without using immigrant workers or foreign Coffee beans, not me.
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For those of you concerned about Mr. Ortiz's legal status, and following the rules, the law, etc., I received this email from Tulsi Gabbard updating Ortiz's situation:
... a quick update from the plane on my way back to Hawai'i.
On Wednesday, I spoke on the House floor urging my colleagues to support... Andres Magana Ortiz’s eligibility for legal, permanent residence in the United States. My bill, For the relief of Andres Magana Ortiz (H.R. 2794), is a last resort option that would permit a farmer, community leader, father and loving husband to remain at his home with his family in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i.
... Mr. Ortiz received a 30-day reprieve from deportation yesterday. Like so many others, Mr. Ortiz deserves the opportunity to continue his pathway to a legal status, and I will continue to pursue legislative options to keep Mr. Ortiz with his family in the United States.
So should the law pass, Mr. Ortiz would be able to stay in Hawaii, legally. Following the rules.
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Anyone here see,"Victorian Slumhouse" on PBS?
It explained a lot about how immigration effects on the economy. Yes it was in the 1800's, but the economics are very much the same.
Puna: Our roosters crow first
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kona coffee is very expensive seems like the growers should be able to pay proper wages and pay payroll taxes .
no one should be rewarded for illegally moving into USA , there are many, many other immigrants that followed the rules and entered legally some waited years some had to sacrifice by leaving their families behind and many came here with only the clothes on their back because they used every penny they had to get here. so
adios amigo come back when you follow the law.
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From Tink: “(It is not) slave labor. The way they work, it is their natural work ethic.”
Quite true. Large parts of the third world have a good work ethic with respect to farm labor. Most U.S. citizens avoid unskilled farm labor. With the nationwide crackdown on illegals, farms everywhere are suffering labor shortages.
“Pay by the pound” compensation, long used on farms, might help here. This mode of compensation might allow us to broaden the farm workforce to the homeless and other unemployed food stamp recipients.
In most cases, these folks only want to work a few hours a day (if that). And, for a variety of reasons, they are unsuitable for many work sites.
Quote from above: “Once again lumping every...group of people...into one category..I detest generalizations.”
I strongly disagree. Generalizations, which by definition exclude the descriptor “every,” are observations of truth. Yes, generalizations can be lies or gross exaggerations. But if correct they help us understand the world.
Generally Americans of most races/ethnic groups other than Hispanic (and some Filipinos) avoid unskilled farm labor. This generalization is highly relevant to discussing the labor shortage on American farms, including our coffee farms.
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I wonder what the farmers think of your grand plan to have food stamp recipients and the homeless work for them?
They either can't work or don't want to. What could possibly go wrong.
Farm work, especially in Hawaii, is the bottom of the ladder. Instead of forcing people down, other people can climb up from where it's even worse - in the Third World. Then you have a motivated workforce. Without cheap labor, prices here will soar and the US will no longer be able to compete. And all just so the xenophobes can feel smug.
There should be more legal immigration, to Hawaii and elsewhere. We should not have labor shortages. If there is no legal pathway then illegal will follow, it's simple economics.
Something very distasteful about assigning characteristics to whole "races", where have I heard that before.
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