October 2020 - 28

AG LABOR REVIEW
Headlines a mixed bag, much like ag labor progress
As I read the article, I was thrilled that
MICHAEL MARSH
President & CEO
National Council of
Agricultural Employers
Michael@ncaeonline.org
The headline of the article was a real
attention grabber! In fact, I looked twice
to make sure I had read it properly.
To tell you the truth, I was a bit
skeptical at first. I kind of felt as if I was
reading a headline from one of those
tabloids, I might see at the grocery store
checkout. A headline that rivets your
curiosity like, " Three-Legged Woman is a
Terrific Dancer! "
Am I right? I mean, you have to look.
There, in the business section, was
a story that divulged a curiosity of
the COVID-19 pandemic relative to
consumer buying habits. Consumer
research identified that consumption
of one product was way, way up as
Americans sheltered in place, and that
consumption of another product was way,
way down. The story pointed out, at least
for one well-diversified multinational
company, its very diversification was
shielding the company's profitability from
tumbling.
the product seeing a surge in purchases
had a direct connection to farmers. As
U.S. households have hunkered down and
practiced social distancing, sales of ice
cream have boomed. The story went on
to say that while that jump in ice cream
sales was occurring, sales of underarm
deodorant had tanked.
Interesting juxtaposition.
This year in agricultural labor has been
a curiosity, too.
In Washington, D.C., my colleagues and
I started the year working on the Senate
side of the Capitol. We were pressing to
find Republicans and Democrats willing
to work with one another in the chamber
to advance a companion bill to the Farm
Workforce Modernization Act that passed
the House in December. The Republicancontrolled
Senate showed little interest
in simply picking up the House bill and
advancing it, so we set about providing
suggestions to senators to make their
version more employer-friendly. And, we
were having success.
Then, not long after National Council of
Educational Employers' (NCAE) annual
meeting in D.C., the president declared a
national emergency over the spread of the
coronavirus and our focus at the council
shifted dramatically. No longer were we
able to focus on meetings in the Capitol
to advance labor reform legislation. The
Capitol was closed to those types of
meetings.
Our focus shifted to making sure our
members could find enough workers to
help with the planting, care and ultimate
harvest of their crops. We pressed our
case with the administration to assist us in
this effort. We asked for their help and it
was provided. Agricultural workers were
deemed, as farmers and ranchers have
always known them to be, as " essential. "
So, even as stores ran short of
" essentials " such as toilet paper and
bleach, agricultural " essential workers "
stayed on the job to assure our national
security was not jeopardized by food
shortages. And, the employers of these
essential workers, America's farmers and
ranchers, stepped up to the plate big time!
Within days, employers shifted
protocols to protect workers. They put
in place rules to " socially distance "
workers in the fields, orchards, barns,
transportation and worker housing.
Employers went into the market to
secure personal protective equipment for
workers, unfortunately having to compete
with first responders for the same type
of gear. However, for the employer, the
safety of employees was the top priority.
Workplace safety plans were
developed and then modified as
government guidance shifted and
scientific understanding of the virus
became more robust. The employer
response was outstanding in the face of
anti-farmer activists and labor unions
who persistently tried to undermine
and denigrate the very safety and
biosecurity protocols employers put
in place to protect their workers, their
families and themselves. I guess the
activists' behavior gives credence to
the adage that, " no good deed goes
unpunished. "
At NCAE, we recognize that today we
are not through this yet. The pandemic
and its consequences remain in the
forefront of our members' minds. And,
for our organization, we know we
cannot take our foot off the gas. We
must keep after it every day, just as our
members do 24/7. I want the readers of
this article to keep that in mind.
One other thing I would urge readers
to keep in mind, harkens back to where
this article started. Remember, at the
end of your day, when snuggling with
your significant other and catching
an evening movie in lockdown while
enjoying a delicious dish of ice cream,
be sure to mind the pits. VGN
16 | VegetableGrowersNews.com
http://www.VegetableGrowersNews.com
October 2020

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