Immigrant farm workers' challenge: Take our jobs

This is awesome, ok unemployed Americans, it is time to put your mouth where the money is! You want a job? go get them there is hundreds of them. (if you really want to work and stop receiving an unemployment check that is) I didn't think you would anyway.

I love Stephen Colbert!

By JULIANA BARBASSA, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jun 24, 5:42 pm ET
SAN FRANCISCO – In a tongue-in-cheek call for immigration reform, farm workers are teaming up with comedian Stephen Colbert to challenge unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs.
Farm workers are tired of being blamed by politicians and anti-immigrant activists for taking work that should go to Americans and dragging down the economy, said Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America.
So the group is encouraging the unemployed — and any Washington pundits or anti-immigrant activists who want to join them — to apply for the some of thousands of agricultural jobs being posted with state agencies as harvest season begins.
All applicants need to do is fill out an online form under the banner "I want to be a farm worker" at www.takeourjobs.org..., and experienced field hands will train them and connect them to farms.
According to the Labor Department, three out of four farm workers were born abroad, and more than half are illegal immigrants. news.yahoo.com...

Alright Americans, go get a job!!!

well i signed up

im currently unemployed and would rather do this than flip burgers to be honest.

says my state has a lot of overtime too, hope they call.

cocky aren't they? is this supposed to draw the sympathy vote or something? the UFW fighting hard for undocumented workers! go unions!

a lot of us need to learn to farm anyway. i have two jobs, but my son signed up. he's telling all his friends. thanks!

I just signed up also. The illegals took my farmwork away from me back in the eighties, now it's my turn to take it back. Thanks OP for this thread! Every American without a job should apply, since I think they are doing this because they dont think we want their jobs, but I really DO want their jobs...

I have a feeling that many will welcome the work - but the few that can't hang with it will be the ones that they film for the show. I hope not - but American workers showing him wrong would not make good television (at least for their ratings).

reply to post by kennylee

The illegals took my farmwork away from me back in the eighties

Corporations did that, many of them American.

It's what you signed up to when you embraced capitalism with open arms.

It's so much easier to villify the workers. Afterall the same corporations that caused this problem in thefirst place make a lot of the useless crap we all just have to have in order to maintain our "quality of life".

reply to post by Just Wondering


Somebody should let that guy whining over in that thread about how republicans killed a new unemployment extension about it. I think his name is David…. But a very good find, now jobless Americans can suck up there damn pride and get back to work, if only for a little bit, its better then sucking on the government Tit.

i know this whole thing is probably meant to be funny, but i know a whole gang of unemployed delinquents like myself that would jump at this.

these are valueble skills that i would actually be able to use in life.

and who knows i might even learn another language

Done I posted it in a couple of places.

I really don't think its that American's don't want to do the work. I think its more that American's can't afford to LIVE in America on farm wages.

We don't live in houses of 15-50 people. We can't all pile into one car. We have to pay taxes and medical expenses, etc. Those illegals get all that for free remember?

I am pleasantly surprised to see people actually willing to take these jobs, that must be people without unemployment money coming in.

I honestly think that most of the unemployed would remain so as long as they keep getting that unemployment check.

And I am sickened by the way the MSM treated ex-millionaire lobbyist, Abramoff for actually getting a job after getting out of jail.
the man is doing the honorable thing and people are acting like he is a freak.
My respect to Mr. Abramoff.
www.huffingtonpost.com...

I just skimmed over the site quickly and will go back to it later. The wages are between 9.00 and change to 16.00 0r 17.oo aprox. Is there a list of states where these jobs are offered?

I think it is a wonderful idea and that many American citizens will be applying. As far as the heat, some of us have worked in factories with no air conditioning in a metal building. Here we have high humidity so it's like a sauna!

What are the laws as far as how high the temps can go before you can go home? I was reading somewhere on the site where they were fighting for regulations as some people have died from the heat, though common sense would tell you that being hydrated is essential and if you start to feel light headed, it's time to go. Earlier hours in the morning, or later hours in the evening when the temps may not be so bad might be a good idea. I know nothing about farming, so I don't know.

Anyway, I am happy to see that there will be more jobs available for our citizens.

Originally posted by DerekJR321
I really don't think its that American's don't want to do the work. I think its more that American's can't afford to LIVE in America on farm wages.

We don't live in houses of 15-50 people. We can't all pile into one car. We have to pay taxes and medical expenses, etc. Those illegals get all that for free remember?

This is a fantastic reply. If the immigrant in the OP challenges us to adopt 3rd world lifestyle, we won't be for the ride, so this is what I propose -- that immigrant and all his blooming family tree promptly goes back where he came from, and so do all other illegals, and after the wages correct, let Americans take the jobs. So I challenge him to do that.

The thing about the houses with 15-50 people is not made up, there have been cases like that in my county.

Those wages are not shoddy. These are the people who needed help from our government (did you all see that ad?!) My son makes $10/hour as an electrician apprentice.



[edit on 25-6-2010 by ~Lucidity]

reply to post by buddhasystem


this would be nice except then we would be paying $16 for a glass of orange juice.

reply to post by buddhasystem

"The wages are between 9.00 and change to 16.00 0r 17.oo aprox."

This better than what Walmart pays so field workers should be able to "live" from these wages. Granted their lifestyle will change but its a living.

reply to post by buddhasystem


The immigrants can live a "third world lifestyle".

Why can't Americans?

If you miss my point, what I'm saying is that these immigrants are capable of working in these conditions for minimal wages and still live in America right?

Why can't an American?

reply to post by buddhasystem


an above poster mentioned wages varying from $9 to $19 an our, i make a little over $20 an hour at my job, this actually might be a great way for people to make extra $$ at a decent wage, sounds like the unions just might be doin somethin right over there...

The wages in question aren't minimal, and are in fact better than fast-food jobs or entry level retail. I very seriously doubt the unemployed would turn down those wages.

For the record, here in my state, the UI paid me exactly 178.00 dollars a week.....so yes, I would take 9.00 dollars an hour in a heartbeat. In fact, I would wager I would swap places with an illegal at those rates much faster than he would swap places with me.

Signed up. And I have a feeling, given the number of legal citizens unemployed, this could very well back fire on the illegals.

[edit on 6/25/2010 by Clark Savage Jr.]