Relying on illegals

A room off the milking parlor of a sprawling farm near the U.S.-Canada border offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the changing face of Vermont's dairy industry.

[Workers Advocate]

It’s an interesting story. The writer gives a sense that gross wages are all that matter, and quotes “Vermont agriculture officials” as saying that with benefits the wages can cost farmers as much as $50,000. One worker is quoted as saying his wages are $435/week, which is $10.87 / hour based on a 40 hour week. Of course the story also points out that many workers out in 60 hour weeks, and on some farms the job runs 24 hours a day. Plus, the housing and food discussed in the article are certainly sub-standard for American workers. Is it any wonder they can’t find Americans to do these jobs?

I understand the need for hard workers, and certainly empathize with the plight of the farmers, but they should be paying a real living wage, and offering reasonable working conditions. If they do so, and can honestly not recruit American workers, only then they should reach out to foreign labor.

The domestic labor market should be allowed to work, even if it drives wages up and requires employers to improve working conditions. Allowing the use of so many foreign workers distorts the market, and depresses wages and conditions, while keeping farm costs (and ultimately consumer costs) unreasonably low through the externalization of cost.

This country has plenty of unemployed workers, and pockets of serious multi-generational unemployment. We need programs that will bridge the supply and demand, and begin the process of developing work skills and a solid work ethic in the chronically unemployed. That requires an improvement in working conditions well beyond what these farms provide today, and probably significant mentoring and life training. We owe this kind of development to the American workforce, and these farms should be required to assist in the effort. This is a terrific place to use federal and state money in job training, to assist both the small business owners and the chronically unemployed.

[Geeze Louise]

Bottom line is most people who are lazy don't want to work. They just want a job and paycheck but they aren't interested in the work part.

[Real Vermonter]

There are enough Americans to fill every job! If they were not so lazy working Americans would not have to relying on illegals, as they are called in this story, for anything!

[Nancy]

Formerly a Benningtonian, I now live in Houston. I employ a Mexican gardner who wants to be paid in cash. He drives our streets in an unregistered, uninsured vehicle and he takes his whole family to the ER when they get a cold.

He is a family man with a wife who works cleaning homes. Their children were born here and they are entitled to benefits.

If I should ask him to paint my house he will expect to be paid the same as their American counterparts.

My husband, who works in the construction industry, has trouble finding workers who can prove they are citizens.

Not too much is mentioned of the illegal Asians as they melt and are protected within their own community They still collect the same benefits for their American born children.

I don't know what the answer is but I would like to see some of the haughty unemployed US citizens who seem to languish on Welfare start working in some of these available jobs. A job these days is a job.

[Real Vermonter]

A lot of them think that Welfare is a job! Thats because it is the way they were brought up!

[Elmer Fudd]

Real Vermonter wrote:

A lot of them think that Welfare is a job! Thats because it is the way they were brought up!

Sad, but true

[ProLife]

Here is a success story about a Danish citizen named Lars Ulrich! Would he have been such a success as an illegal? Not even as a tennis player! I always thought that Lars a jerk because he was rich! While I partied and ate his food at his home in Tiburon you could see and smell what riches might do to a person! Not Lars though! He was always a jerk! A rich Danish jerk living legally in USA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

I was at this show! See me down in front of Jason! Metallica aint sheet since Jason left em! Don't get me wrong though! Robert is a great bassist but not nearly the bassist Cliff was and not nearly the PR man that Jason was! All were always citizens of the United States and were always nicer to me than Lars ever thought of being! James too! All are rich! Says something doesn't it? What I don't know! LOL!!

[Real Vermonter]

Sad but true!

[ex-vermonter]

the border is a joke, HLS and border patrol are too busy setting up checkpoints on RT.7 in Bennington looking for who knows what. in California a skilled guy can not work unless he/she can speak Spanish. the reason for this you may ask? i was told that the contractor/employer can get 3 Mexicans for what i would get paid. meanwhile the employer is not paying any workers comp so when one of these clowns get hurt they sue EVERYONE, the contractor the client the tool manufactureer it's nuts. how to end this madness you may ask?? simple, don't bother rounding up illegals, fine the employer $1000 a head for every one without papers. then everyone who can afford domestic help, gardeners and anyone with a business that can afford employees will have to pay people a honest wage.

[Non Buddy]

when mannequin company first came into Eagle Square they brought a whole bunch of illegals with them. the illegals were making more than double what locals were, because they were getting NYC wages. only four of those illegals were caught and i believe it was on Rt 7 in bennington. they were drunk as usual. the room most of them worked in was little mexico, what fun to go in there and yell ICE ICE ICE. they could scale a concrete wall to jump out a window.

[LDS]

I think that it's interesting that the author chose to call this article "Relying on Illegals", when the article goes on to state that only some of the workers are illegal, and that the actual number of illegal immigrant workers is unknown. why not call the article, "Relying on Immigrants?" That would show a bit less bias.

[Real Vermonter]

Berenstein Display the mannequin company that would add 165 jobs in Bennington County is one of several projects that received a total of $4.9 million in state financing! Between then and now they have laid off half their work force of only 100! When they came they hired illegals, criminals and alcoholics! No wonder they got nothing done and had to lay off! Don't believe me? Just ask Wally-Mart Scotty aka Scott05201! He'll sugar coat it but you can pick through his comments and develope the actual facts!

[Lech Sphincte]

Yea,yea,they're still here illegally and should be kicked out.Besides,they bring in a lot of disease

[Vermont transplant]

Nancy wrote:

Formerly a Benningtonian, I now live in Houston. I employ a Mexican gardner who wants to be paid in cash. He drives our streets in an unregistered, uninsured vehicle and he takes his whole family to the ER when they get a cold.
He is a family man with a wife who works cleaning homes. Their children were born here and they are entitled to benefits.
If I should ask him to paint my house he will expect to be paid the same as their American counterparts.
My husband, who works in the construction industry, has trouble finding workers who can prove they are citizens.
Not too much is mentioned of the illegal Asians as they melt and are protected within their own community They still collect the same benefits for their American born children.
I don't know what the answer is but I would like to see some of the haughty unemployed US citizens who seem to languish on Welfare start working in some of these available jobs. A job these days is a job.

Nancy,You and your husband are both guilty of a crime whether you know it or not. If you are emplying illegals knowingly and paying them cash you are part of the problem and part of the answer to your own question. Pay them with a check. You won't do that because they can't cash a check and you don't want to hire a legal company because you are paying less to your mexican gardener who has no overhead unlike a legal citizen who pays insurance for liability and workers compensation. You are also guilty of child abuse knowing that man puts his children in and uninsured and unregistered vehicle. God forbids he has an accident and hurts someone or one of his own. Who will pay for that? It is only hard to prove that you are a citizen if you are not one. Illegals are paid more because there is no overhead for them when they are employed by big companies. NO taxes no insurance and no benefits. Your only aiding to the problem of illegal aliens by using them for your benefit. American citizens are paid less because they have to be covered with workers comp and taxes are paid on their monies. Some of these American citizens would gladly get off welfare if they were paid a liveable wage that would cover their daycare and rent and all their bills. Some have just had to turn to welfare as of late because of our losing economy. Yes I know that there are families that have used welfare as their legacy but people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

[Real Vermonter]

Nancy doesn't care! Nancy and her hubby only care about their needs!

[urjokin]

The way i see it.If they want to be in America then learn ENGLISH!When i call some where im sick of pushing a button on the phone to continue in English.Almost everything you buy has Spanish on it now along with English.This is America!!Not Mexico!

[Non Buddy]

Real Vermonter wrote:

Berenstein Display the mannequin company that would add 165 jobs in Bennington County is one of several projects that received a total of $4.9 million in state financing! Between then and now they have laid off half their work force of only 100! When they came they hired illegals, criminals and alcoholics! No wonder they got nothing done and had to lay off! Don't believe me? Just ask Wally-Mart Scotty aka Scott05201! He'll sugar coat it but you can pick through his comments and develope the actual facts!

you don't have to tell me anything about these crooks i was in a position there where i had to deal with all of the goof balls they hired. i did that for 2 years and finally smartened up. they paid us locals piddly squat and expected more and more from us. the owners should have been fined for bringing the illegal city scum up here.

[YRGTGTH4WUD]

ProLife wrote:

Here is a success story about a Danish citizen named Lars Ulrich! Would he have been such a success as an illegal? Not even as a tennis player! I always thought that Lars a jerk because he was rich! While I partied and ate his food at his home in Tiburon you could see and smell what riches might do to a person! Not Lars though! He was always a jerk! A rich Danish jerk living legally in USA!
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
I was at this show! See me down in front of Jason! Metallica aint sheet since Jason left em! Don't get me wrong though! Robert is a great bassist but not nearly the bassist Cliff was and not nearly the PR man that Jason was! All were always citizens of the United States and were always nicer to me than Lars ever thought of being! James too! All are rich! Says something doesn't it? What I don't know! LOL!!

Well you keep your opinion as you are the minority. Robert kicks @$$ and we are glad to have him.

You seem desprate for attention.

[rachellynn]

Bernstein also gives the illegals free transport from Troy, and pays for houses they have families living in in NYC. He is oblivious to the fact that most of the Mexicans he has hired, walk out everyday with something that does not belong to them. It is sad but very true. Anthony doesn't care, or believes everything Boss L says.

[Real Vermonter]

Trujillo does kick $ss! He did when he played with Ozzy and the other bands too! On stage and pr! He was the only one you would bump into in the crowd! He is getting some credit with MetallicA that he didn't actually earn though! The band has gone downhill and hasn't been the same since Cliff died! When MetallicA was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Trujillo looked like a sore thumb standing on stage with James, Lars, Jason and Cliffs father! The same thing when they performed with both bassist playing! It's just not MetallicA anymore!