Editor, The Spokesman-Review:
In your May 7th article, “New farmworker housing project emerges in Sunnyside amid labor and immigration shifts,” Washington state farmers are, without proof, accused of violating federal regulations for the H-2A guest worker program, by an activist from Yakima-based group “We Are ELLA.”
Maricela Santana-Walle with We Are ELLA, speaking about domestic farmworkers, is quoted saying, “They’re being displaced by H-2A workers,” suggesting farmers in Washington using the federal guest worker program are deliberately breaking the program’s strict rules prohibiting this.
Did Santana-Walle provide any evidence that these farmers are committing such violations of specific federal policy? If so, have she or the impacted workers filed an official complaint?
In her additional quoted comments, Santana-Walle went on to further disparage Washington farmers, falsely claiming that they leverage the legal H-2A program in order to pay workers less. It’s a laughable claim, because the federal program’s wage structure is closely regulated, and historically has had a significantly higher minimum wage for guest workers than the state minimum wage required for domestic workers, not to mention additional housing and transportation benefits with real monetary value.
Why would Washington farmers deliberately hire guest workers over domestic workers, when it would cost them more, in addition to being a clear violation of federal rules?
It’s disappointing to see the Spokesman-Review providing a prominent platform for such harmful false accusations, without substantiation or the opportunity for the farming community to respond.