bajabound2005
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Mexican Farmers Find Novel Way to Exploit Workers
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
Friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel.
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CaboRon
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Worker's Children
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. 
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surfer jim
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cheap tomatoes.....would you rather pay $3.99 or $1.99 a pound?
well....this is how it's done.....
[Edited on 8-15-2009 by surfer jim]
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Bajahowodd
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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.
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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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.
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monoloco
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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.
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Bajahowodd
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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.
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irenemm
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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.
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LancairDriver
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| 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.....
[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
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CaboRon
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| 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 ....
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bajabound2005
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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.
Friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel.
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