Take Our Jobs Campaign

There are two issues facing the United States–high unemployment and undocumented people in the workforce–that many Americans believe are related.  It is a fact that the food we all eat comes to us from the labor of undocumented farm workers.

Agriculture in the United States is dependent on the immigrant workforce. Three-quarters of all crop workers working in American agriculture were born outside the United States. According to government statistics, since the late 1990s, at least 50% of the crop workers have not been authorized to work legally in the United States.

United Farm Workers (UFW) has initiated the “Take Our Jobs” campaign. The UFW is inviting Americans to come to into the fields to try their hand at agricultural work.  The UFM is trying to dispel the belief that immigrants are taking all the jobs away from Americans.

The Take Our Jobs Campaign was launched on Thursday, June 24, 2010.  Until Stephen Colbert featured UFW’s President Arturo Rodgriguez on his show, The Colbert Report, on July 8, 2010, only 3 Americans had taken the UFW up on their offer.  Stephen Colbert signed up as number 4.  The episodes featuring Stephen Colbert’s trip to an upstate N.Y. farm started airing last night, September 22, 2010 on Comedy Central, tune in tonight for more clips.  Mr. Colbert is scheduled to speak tomorrow on Capitol Hill at the Protecting America’s Harvest hearing.

According to and ABC News article, since the campaign was launched: 3 million people have visited takeourjobs.org, 8,600 people have expressed interest, and only 7 have actually accepted the challenge.

As part of the campaign UFW is sending a letter to U.S. lawmakers, offering up farm workers who are “ready to welcome citizens and legal residents who wish to replace immigrants in the fields.” The campaign is encouraging Members of Congress to refer their constituents to vacant farm worker positions in locations across the country. All who are interested or unemployed and are legal residents or U.S. citizens are encouraged to apply.

Those interested can apply at takeourjobs.org but you must agree to the following: “Job may include using hand tools such as knives, hoes, shovels, etc. Duties may include tilling the soil, transplanting, weeding, thinning, picking, cutting, sorting & packing of harvested produce. May set up & operate irrigation equip. Work is performed outside in all weather conditions (Summertime 90+ degree weather) & is physically demanding requiring workers to bend, stoop, lift & carry up to 50 lbs on a regular basis.”

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