FRESNO, Calif. -- The United Farm Workers union - in a tongue-and-cheek appeal - is encouraging U.S. citizens and legal residents to become farmworkers.
The union is launching a campaign called "Take Our Jobs" as a way to bring attention to the nation's fractured immigration policies.
Despite public opposition to illegal immigration, farm industry leaders and union officials say undocumented workers provide a vital role to U.S. agriculture and other industries.
The union's campaign is expected to gain national exposure with a July 8 appearance on Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," according to a UFW news release.
Union officials declined to comment on Wednesday, preferring to make a statement during a teleconference Thursday. But in the release, UFW leaders say they wrote a letter to lawmakers offering to train any citizens and legal residents who want to replace immigrants in the fields.
The union is calling on members of Congress to refer their constituents to vacant farmworker positions.
"All who are interested or unemployed and are legal residents or U.S. citizens are encouraged to apply," the news release states.
Although the campaign is taking a snarky approach, agricultural leaders agree with the concept.
"I know they are using a little bit of humor, but there is a definite message there," said Manuel Cunha, president of the Fresno, Calif.-based Nisei Farmers League. "You have to have a legal workforce in agriculture."
Cunha's group has joined with the UFW to support the federal AgJOBS legislation that sits in the Senate. The bill aims to provide a legal and stable work force by giving more than 1 million undocumented farmworkers a path to legalization while continuing to work in farming.
Cunha said the UFW's campaign is similar to one that the agriculture industry tried 12 years ago when it tried to recruit welfare recipients and unemployed workers to do farm labor. The effort failed to generate interest among non-agriculture workers.
"The fact is that U.S. workers are not going to take these jobs," Cunha said. "So who will?"
Posted By: Richard Kigel
Wednesday, June 30th 2010 at 5:23PM
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