An Indebtedness in the Vineyard


By Tom Wark
Fermentation

As Congress discusses the state of our borders and undocumented aliens and as the people take to the streets, the wine industry sits and waits. The outcome of the illegal alien debate will affect this industry in a significant way.

Its no secret that the agriculture industry in California in maintained in great part by undocumented workers who have come across the southern borders. The wine industry has more than its fair share. Vines are pruned and grapes are harvested by extraordinarily hard-working men and women who know that the wineries and vineyards need their labor.

Perhaps the best indication of the industrys indebtedness is the movement that has developed over the past decade or so to help find housing for vineyard laborers, particularly seasonal workers. In Sonoma, Napa and other grape-growing regions of the state, the move to find affordable and subsidized housing for migrant workers has become increasingly important to local communities that rely on seasonal help to harvest grapes.

The outcome of the debate over undocumented aliens and borders is unsure. Several varying proposals are still on the table. However, one thing is sure. If Californias grape industry loses access to seasonal workers, the cost of wine will go up. This in and of itself is not reason to support or oppose any particular plan to address this issue. Yet, I can tell you it is something that the wine industry is very much concerned with.

This writer believes that a guest worker program and an amnesty-type program is the best way to address the millions of undocumented aliens who have come across the border and thrown themselves — and their backs — into the American economy.

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April 5th, 2006
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Reader Comments

Comment Number:
1
Written by:
Lenn
Posted on:
April 5, 2006 at 9:39 am

It’s not just California either, Tom. I know that the situation is similar for many vineyards here on the East Coast.

It certainly bears watching…and if U.S. prices do go up…what an opportunity for Australia, Argentina, Chile etc. to really accelerate their growth in this market.

Comment Number:
2
Written by:
Jamie Gabrini
Posted on:
April 5, 2006 at 5:20 pm

The agricultural industry will shut down without such workers. When I worked on the north fork of LI (not naming the winery!), many of my coworkers were undocumented. Those guys worked their tails off and did a fantastic job. We as a nation are eager to ignore the fact that our nation is build on such labor; people can gripe about illegals all they like, but I’m sure my ancestors weren’t completely legal when they came over either.

Comment Number:
3
Written by:
Erwin Dink
Posted on:
April 5, 2006 at 7:14 pm

It’s not just agriculture. The construction industry has been revolutionized in the last several years with the influx of hard working and industrious immigrants (regardless of how they cross the border). Immigration reform is almost all posturing and puffery. I can’t wait until the undocumented workers realize how much power they have. Look for a movie called, A Day Without a Mexican for a humorous take on the subject.

Comment Number:
4
Written by:
Nick Troilo
Posted on:
April 6, 2006 at 11:53 am

Tom:
It is incredulous that the Senate of the United States believes that in the interest of the national security they must stop workers from coming into this country to pick grapes and vegetables. On second thought, it isn’t incredulous at all for this Senate majority.
Thank you for writing this.

Comment Number:
5
Written by:
Outdoorgrrl
Posted on:
May 1, 2006 at 1:20 pm

Guest worker program to support the industries that rely on immigrant workers - YES, if you can suggest a program that works! Amnesty for illegal immigrants - NO WAY!

Giving amnesty to people who flaunt the law is one step shy of condoning the behavior. Why should law breakers get a fast pass to the front of the citizenship line when there are countless others doing it the hard way?

The double trouble is that historically guest worker programs haven’t worked. No matter how good the program, we live in an age where there will always be a large number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. There will always be a large enough pool of ultra-cheap labor available to agricultural employers to render the guest worker programs redundant.