How to run a guest-worker program

A Guest-Worker Program That Does Well by Migrants

By Krissah Williams
MONTERREY, Mexico -- If a quarry needs a migrant worker who can haul 50-pound loads of rock out of a mine, or a big landscaper wants to hire a man who'll mow grass from sunup to sundown for $8 an hour without overstaying his visa, Jeffrey West scrolls through his computer, clicks the mouse and fills...

In this article, Williams interviews Jeffery West, owner of Latin Labor Solutions (LLS), who explains how he recruits Mexican laborers, fills out their paper work to obtain visas, and sets and prepares potential employees for appointments with the U.S. consulate. Interestingly, West found that Mexican workers were willing to do hard labor for very little pay compared to U.S. Laborers who after a few hours of hard labor quit the jobs.

Williams notes that some recruiters take advantage of the illiterate by charging them more money to take a job than they could get compensated for. This reminds me of how farmers in the early 1900s treated Mexicans when they loaned them money to take care of their bills, and then paid them very little, forcing Mexicans to work on farms for many years (Takaki).

I believe it is important for the Congress and the Senate to be careful not to treat these laborers unjustly. Their proposal to charge workers many fees in order to secure low paying jobs in the U.S. is inhumane. U.S. citizens in low paying jobs get government assistance in order to meet their basic needs. Why create hardships for people who are willing to give the strength of their youth in the fields and construction work? Why make laborers lives harder by making them jump through many hurdles when all they want is a chance at a better life?

Video: The Recruiter: Labor Across the Border
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