Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Bush's New Bracero Program
President Bush is back on his effort to create a guest worker program to "fill jobs that Americans will not do." Rather than letting market forces adjust the terms and conditions of these jobs - hours, pay, health care, education, upward growth, etc. he proposes to flood the supply of labor with a new and expanded Bracero program.
The Bracero Program (1942-1964) was an agreement between the U.S. and Mexican governments that permitted Mexican citizens to take temporary agricultural work in the United States. When US farmworkers protested poor wages or working conditions, farm owners brought in braceros, undercutting the bargaining power of the American farmworkers.
Many of the braceros lived in poverty conditions - without adequate food, water, or shelter. Additionally, many of the barceros were forced to pay a portion of their pay to so called manditory savings programs that were never paid to them. The program was ended to prevent further abuse of braceros and US farmworkers.
Bush's Guest worker program will not only include agricultural workers, but workers from all sectors of the economy. What will make it work this time? And who will pick up the tab for the health, education and welfare of their children? Will Bush convince Vincente Fox to create a high-tech jobs program in Mexico to provide jobs for all the unemployed high tech workers desiring a better climate and lifestyle?
# posted by Konrad Roeder @ 11/29/2005 02:29:00 PM
wow never knew that thanks and what did the goverment do with the charges to the workers sence it was closed whos pockit it go to makes me wonder
Littlebitofsonshine,
A total of $34 million was deducted from bracero earnings between 1942 and 1946; savings deductions ceased in January 1946. Several class-action suits have been filed seeking to recover the forced savings, plus interest, from the Mexican and US governments. These lawsuits were for the 35-50 millon that was never returned, plus an additional $500 billion in punitive damages.
see http://migration.ucdavis.edu/rmn/more.php?id=508_0_4_0
