#wage-policy

#wage-policy

Some economists credit carmaker Henry Ford for jump-starting the American middle class in the 20th century when, in January 1914, he hiked factory wages to $5, more than double the average wage for an eight-hour work day. More than 100 years later, facing the reality of many employees "barely getting by," Ford CEO Jim Farley said he took a page out of the founder's playbook.

H-2A workers are very vulnerable to pressure from their employers. They can only work for the growers who recruit them, who can legally impose production quotas and fire workers for not meeting them. Recruiters are legally allowed to refuse to hire women, and almost all H-2A workers are young men. They can be fired for protesting, organizing, or simply working too slowly. They then lose their visas and usually find themselves on a blacklist, unable to return to work in subsequent seasons.