American Agri-Women wants new labor legislation

Washington ­- Agriculture is uniquely in crisis regarding the need for a legal workforce is the message American Agri-Women conveyed at meetings with their congressional delegates this week in the nation’s capital. Congress must act. The Emergency Agriculture Relief Act was proposed as an amendment to the supplemental spending bill to fund military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, but was removed, so now agriculture organizations are working hard to get the Relief Act moved forward on its own. “The cost of waiting is to lose production and our food stability and security. The (Relief Act) is a solution within reach that avoids controversy and effectively addresses the problem on an emergency basis,” AAW president Marcie Williams said. “Our crops are rotting in the field and farming operations are moving to Mexico and we need relief now.”This legislation is not amnesty. It does not provide a path to citizenship or a green card but would grant temporary, limited immigration status for experienced farm workers who would be required to continue to work in American agriculture for the next five years. The bill also reforms and streamlines the H-2A program. American Agri-Women is the nation’s largest coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women, with 50 state, commodity, agribusiness affiliate organizations and collegiate chapters throughout the country. AAW is an all volunteer organization, working to provide reliable information about agriculture to the public since 1974.For more information about AAW’s positions on a wide range of agricultural topics, contact Marcie Williams, President, president@americanagriwomen.org, or visit the web site at http://www.americanagriwomen.org.