October 1997, Volume 3, Number 4

Poverty Amid Prosperity
"Poverty Amid Prosperity: Immigration and the Changing Face of Rural California," is a six-chapter book that summarizes the papers presented at

Welfare Reform in Rural America
On September 5, 1997, county welfare directors sponsored a meeting on welfare reform and agriculture in Bakersfield, California. The motivation for

Immigrants and Rural America
According to University of Michigan researchers, the new "rural renaissance" appears to be largely a domestic migration phenomenon. Between 1990

Farm Worker Housing
The dispute in the state of Washington over farm worker housing standards for very short season crops such as cherries continues. A 1997 effort to

UFW: Strawberries, Gallo
On September 15, 1997, Safeway pledged its support for the "issues raised by the UFW on behalf of strawberry workers' right to organize, seek

Washington, Indiana
The New York Times on August 19, 1997 described the UFW-Teamster effort to organize 40,000 Washington apple pickers and 15,000 warehouse workers as

Farm Worker Union Finances
Federal labor law requires all "labor organizations" with annual receipts of $100,000 or more to file annual LM-2 reports with the US Department of

MSPA Reform Proposed
The Migrant and Seasonal Worker Protection Act (MSPA or AWPA), CFR 29, Part 500, is a federal law enforced by the wage and hour division of the

Farm Labor Contractors
The California Farmer in August 1997 advised farm employers to hire registered and reliable contractors because of the increased likelihood of

Labor Law Enforcement
The US Employment Service in 1977 established a system of Monitor Advocates for Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers to ensure that migrant and seasonal

ALRB/NLRB Decisions
Union Rights of Unauthorized Workers. The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in September 1997 decided that an unauthorized worker who

Growers Press for Changes
On August 1, 1997, Rep. Bob Smith (R-OR) introduced HR 2377, a bill that would create a 24-month pilot program for 25,000 temporary foreign

INS: Border and Work-Place Enforcement
The INS is charged with preventing unauthorized aliens from entering the US, and from obtaining US jobs. The INS has launched several high-profile

NAFTA
On November 1, 1997, the first Mexican avocados since 1914 are expected to arrive in the 19 northeastern states of the US. Mexico produces about 67

Grape Mechanization
Much of American history is the story of producing more food and fiber with fewer people. As more farm workers appear to be unauthorized workers

Canada: Unions, Guest Workers
Farm workers were granted organizing and bargaining rights under Ontario's Agricultural Labour Relations Act (Bill 91) for about one year. Under

Child Labor
Despite laws in virtually all countries against the use of child labor, "more children work in agriculture than in any other sector," in part

Food Safety, Processing
President Clinton in September announced plans for a four-part program aimed at improving the safety of both foreign and domestic produce. Under

Binational Study
US Commission on Immigration Reform. 1997. Binational Study on Migration: Executive Summary. Washington: US Commission on Immigration Reform.

Books and Reports
This guide lists 100 researchers and several organizations working on rural Latinos. The 1990 Census found 48 million residents in nonmetro areas,