In BBC's World Service News on June 23rd, 2011 at minute 23:09 there was an interview with a representative, Charles Hall, of Georgia's Food and Vegetables Grower's Association. Here is a shocking quote from the interview:
BBC: So, if you can't get your seasonal people to pick the crops, why can't you just get locals? ... I would also assume there are plenty of people out there looking for work, what's wrong with crop picking?
Hall: Well the unemployment rate is 9.6% right now. Our US worker and most US citezens cannot withstand the type of jobs that are needed in the field. These are jobs where you are going to be working 8-10 hours a day it's hot, it's 98 to 100 degrees, temperature wise, lifting, stooping, bending, very physically demanding type of work. And when we have used domestic workers, they just can't stand up under this kind of work environment.
... they talked about guest worker program and Hall said that growers would prefer US workers, but it is infeasible.
BBC (in conclusion):: You're gonna just have to find some americans who stoop and bend as well as foreigners can.
Hall: Yes but we haven't found those Americans yet.
Hear the whole thing at http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/globalnews/globalnews_20110623-0320a.mp3
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
