BajaNomad

Mexican Farmers Find Novel Way to Exploit Workers

bajabound2005 - 8-15-2009 at 06:44 AM

Mexican Farmers Find Novel Way to Exploit Workers
(Latin American Herald Tribuine)

MEXICO CITY – Hundreds of farm workers in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur are being exploited by employers who trick them into believing they are in the United States and keep them in line with threats of deportation, the state’s official Human Rights Commission said.

Commission chairman Jordan Arrazola told capital daily Milenio in an interview published Friday that the recruiters involved in the scam are members of the CTM, one of Mexico’s most powerful labor unions.

“They make them (the workers) believe they are in the United States and don’t let them go out, they practically have them locked up,” Arrazola said.

“The foremen threaten to report them to ‘la migra’ (U.S. immigration authorities) to get them deported,” the official said.

Violations of human rights are common on many of the 40 large farms in Baja California Sur that grow vegetables for export to the United States, he said, noting that most of the workers are recruited from Mexico’s poorest, least-developed regions.

Arrazola said the farm owners keep out investigators from the rights commission and “anybody who can witness the human rights violations and crimes that are committed.”

The living areas provided for the workers, many of whom bring their families, lack the most basic facilities, Arrazola said.

Milenio cited data from the Baja California Sur government showing that the state’s farms recruit around 25,000 workers per year from southern Mexico. EFE

Worker's Children

CaboRon - 8-15-2009 at 07:01 AM

Around Todos Santos the children of the field workers are kept in a large chicken wire cage during the day.

The toddlers are kept in a somewhat smaller enclosure behind that .

When they are seven or nine years of age they join their parents laboring in the fields.

These conditions are akin to slavery. :fire:

surfer jim - 8-15-2009 at 11:41 AM

cheap tomatoes.....would you rather pay $3.99 or $1.99 a pound?

well....this is how it's done.....:rolleyes:

[Edited on 8-15-2009 by surfer jim]

Bajahowodd - 8-15-2009 at 12:22 PM

Since CaboRon has some local experience, I was wondering what he knows about the del Cabo cooperative, and if they are offenders, as well. Reason I ask, is that there's lotsa hype about what a wonderful thing they are doing, in partnership with Northern California organic growers. It would just seem hypocritical to me that folks who tout organic produce, would abuse children.

shari - 8-15-2009 at 12:42 PM

it seems they are all different...in Vizcaino...there are some empacadoras that work with or are american and they have wonderful programs and working and living conditions...have excellent reputations for humane conditions. It would be good to expose the bad ones and get them to clean up their act.

monoloco - 8-15-2009 at 01:28 PM

A lot of the farm labor used is contracted through a third party who houses the laborers and delivers them to the field in a bus thus insulating the farmer from any liability for living conditions. A lot of these workers are housed away from urban areas in camps with appalling conditions where they are dependent on company stores for all their needs and are virtual prisoners of the contractors.

Bajahowodd - 8-15-2009 at 01:43 PM

Some of the largest expanse of agriculture is found in the Constucion area. I wonder if that's where the story arose. I am with you Shari. No excuse just so folks up North can save a few cents on tomatoes or spinach.

irenemm - 8-15-2009 at 02:03 PM

My husband farmed tomatoes in the late 80's and early 90's. I know many farmers and they are good people.
When you hire a worker you get the whole family. kids, wife, uncle, aunts ,and cousins. It is better now that before. It is illegal for the children to work. the parents and other adults will not work unless you pay for everyone. You must provide housing which is better than they are used to. Most of the workers do not want to live in good conditions they like living as they have. It is very difficult to get them to change. You give them what the laws requires. The health dept will go to the camps and give them shots but they refuse. the health dept . will go to the housing to show them basic cleaning. watch hands and food and dishes nope they don't like it. I have lived here for over 28 years and the people like they way they live. they do not want to come into the 21st century. Yes some people do treat them badly and I hope those people who do that are fined by the government or jailed. many of the farmers in the vicente guerrero, camalu and san quintin area do farm southern baja as well. I know here we do not have problems like in other parts of mexico.

LancairDriver - 8-15-2009 at 02:04 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by surfer jim
cheap tomatoes.....would you rather pay $3.99 or $1.99 a pound?

well....this is how it's done.....:rolleyes:

[Edited on 8-15-2009 by surfer jim]


Here's a Canadian outfit that just set up a monster high tech tomato growing operation in Oxnard, CA.
Wonder if it will translate to lower prices for the consumer and give the mexicans a run for their money?

Check it out. www.houwelings.com

CaboRon - 8-15-2009 at 04:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Since CaboRon has some local experience, I was wondering what he knows about the del Cabo cooperative, and if they are offenders, as well. Reason I ask, is that there's lotsa hype about what a wonderful thing they are doing, in partnership with Northern California organic growers. It would just seem hypocritical to me that folks who tout organic produce, would abuse children.


Sorry, don't know their particular story ....

bajabound2005 - 8-15-2009 at 06:22 PM

Del Cabo is above board. We know some folks that farm and sell to Del Cabo. They treat their workers with respect and know them all by name. They make sure they are as taken care of as they want to be. We have toured their farm several times and we are proud of how they operate it. I can't speak to others that may be part of the Del Cabo group, but these guys are top-notch.