Ornamental Outlook

take_action

May 22, 2007

Possible Last Chance For Immigration Reform
(Source: ANLA)

The U.S. Senate has agreed to take up debate and action on comprehensive immigration reform. It is imperative that voices of reason be heard immediately or this rare opportunity to actually find solutions to our broken immigration system will be lost.

The Agriculture Coalition for Immigration reform urges all horticulture industry members to contact your two U.S. Senators, by telephone, as soon as possible. You can reach your Senator's office by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask to be connected to the Senator's office from your state (remember, you have two Senators, so you need to call twice!!). Find your Senators here.

Once connected to the Senator's office, identify yourself as a voting resident and business person in the state. Then make the following points:

The current immigration system is broken and can only be fixed by a comprehensive approach to immigration reform.
That approach must 1) strengthen the borders, 2) realistically address the 12 million undocumented workers in the country, and 3) provide future temporary worker programs to fill jobs Americans cannot or will not perform.
The proposed bill is a good start and deserves reasonable consideration by a Senate committed to finding solutions instead of scoring political points.
The bill includes important provisions of the AgJOBS legislation that provide for a badly needed temporary worker program for agriculture, and an orderly transition that encourages experienced farmworkers to remain working in agriculture for a period of years.
Now is the time for the U.S. Senate to demonstrate leadership and for Senator _____ to support practical and workable comprehensive immigration reform measures.

Thank the Senatorial staff for noting your concerns, ask for their office's fax number, and then write and fax or email a note restating the points above. Finally, to strengthen your voice, encourage your managers and employees to do the same. Now is the time!

September 27, 2006

Speak Up For AgJOBS Today!

The ongoing drive for comprehensive immigration reform is far from over and the agriculture industry still desperately needs your input. Contact your senators and representatives and ask them to support and pass a comprehensive law that will include a guest worker program and earned legalization for our trained and trusted workforce.

If your members of Congress have been supportive of AgJOBS and a guest worker program, thank them and urge them to maintain their support. You can copy the sample letter below and customize it to your specific business and market to send to your senators and representatives.

Currently the goal on Capitol Hill is to have an immigration bill on President Bush’s desk after the November elections. Time is limited so speak up now!

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Senator [insert senator's name here]:

Dear Representative [insert representative's name here]:

As your constituent and a member of the [insert industry name here] industry, I strongly support a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that addresses the need for a stable and reliable workforce for agriculture.

The status quo is unacceptable. I urge you to vote for a truly comprehensive solution that includes border security, enforcement provisions, a workable temporary guest worker program and earned legalization for the currently trained and trusted workforce already living in the United States.

Major reform of our immigration laws is a vital matter. The [insert industry name here] industry is very labor-intensive agriculture. With limited access to a stable, legal workforce, the agriculture industry is put in the precarious position of having to rely on undocumented labor to fill as many as 70 percent of the jobs. These workers are planting and harvesting our nation’s fruits and vegetables, as well as ornamentals and other specialty crops.

Senators Larry Craig and Ted Kennedy originally introduced AgJOBS to help meet the seasonal labor need of agricultural employers. The AgJOBS bill also would grant certain eligible agricultural workers a path to legal status. This provision is not amnesty. In order to qualify, each worker would be required to pay a fine, undergo a background check and commit to continue working, largely in agriculture, for at least three to five years. This provision offers a critical transition to wider use of the H-2A program.

I strongly urge you to support AgJOBS. If Congress fails to pass a comprehensive solution that includes AgJOBS, Americans will not be able to sustain a diverse domestic food supply. Furthermore, businesses in many agricultural sectors will be forced to relocate offshore. The ripple effect would result in the loss of year-round domestic jobs that native-born Americans depend upon for their livelihoods.

I look forward to hearing from you and I trust that you will do the right thing by supporting AgJOBS and the future of American agriculture.

Sincerely,

[Your name and contact information here]