COLLEGE PARK, MD - There
have been no major events in the
farm of labor situation since
last spring’s change in the
Maryland law on workmen’s
compensation, but some items are
brewing in both the state and
national legislative process.
The Maryland legislature may
have to consider workmen’s
compensation again. As reported
in Economic News Notes last June,
H.B. 106 as finally passed and
signed by the Governor states that
Can environmental planning
prevent political chaos?
ITHACA, NY - “Real national
security is in the stability and
productivity of the environment
and in the social and moral
strength of the people-not in
military armaments.”
So said George W. Olson, an
associate professor of soil science
at the New York State College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences at
Cornell University, in an address
at the annual meeting of the Soil
Conservation Society of America
in St. Louis.
A country’s environmental
resources, he said, affect the well
being of its citizens, and
inadequate or mismanaged
resources lead to international
hostilities.
The Cornell scientist cited
Iranian terrorists as an example of
the connection between the en
vironment and political turmoil.
Iran’s harsh, arid climate and long
history of invasion by neighboring
countries in competition for what
little water exists there have led to
mass frustration and anger, he
explained. One outcome is
terrorism aimed at other nations,
especially the privileged.
In Central America, Olson said,
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HUBER’S
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Update on farm labor issues in Maryland
employees subject to provisions of
the compensation Act include,
“Any person receiving
remuneration from a farmer or a
dairy farmer for services per
formed...
“Where migrant labor is being
used by a farmer but being hired
by a crew leader, it is being in
terpreted that the farmer need
only have the crew leader covered
by compensation regardless of the
size of the work force or payroll.
rain forests are rapidly being
destroyed to create pastures for
beef cattle. The beef is imported
for use by the fast food indukry in
the United States and provides a
fast profit to a handful of in
dividuals.
Entire communities of people
are uprooted from the rain forests,
where they have been established
for thousands of years, he said. As
a result, they are forced to live
either in ghettos or on steep, in
fertile land where they cannot
farm.
“The resulting poverty and
political instability are the
makings of revolution,” he said.
Olson suggested at least 10
percent of every country’s budget
be devoted to environmental
conservation and management.
This represents a fraction of the
world expenditures for ar
maments, for which “in excess of
$1 million per minute are being
spent worldwide.”
“Education, environmental-re
source inventorying, and long
range policy planning to conserve
resources can prevent much of the
political chaos that otherwise lies
ahead, the Cornell scientist
stressed.
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Migrant workers who work with
machinery and equipment,
however, have to be covered. The
intent and interpretation of this
phrase may have to be clarified.
In April 1985, OSHA (Oc
cupational Safety and Health Act)
officials announced they would not
issue regulations on field
sanitation standards. These
standards would have required
that farmers provide toilet and
handwashing facilities and
drinking water for field workers
within a certain distance of their
work.
Then on September 11 of this
year, Labor Secretary Brock,
under some congressional
pressure, announced that the
issuance of field sanitation was on
“hold” for eighteen months. And
on October 21, the Department of
Labor announced its intention to
implement OS HA standards by
April 1987 unless states chose to
develop their own standards by
January 1987.
State standards would have to
meet certain criteria set by DOL;
essentially standards equivalent to
the 1984 OSHA standards with
evidence of adequate enforcement.
If OSHA determines that the
farmworker population is not
sufficiently protected under state
standards, it will promulgate
federal regulations within the
state.
Thus Maryland or MOSHA have
until January 1987 to develop and
implement adequate field
sanitation regulations to forestall
Federal imposition by April of
1987.
Also at the federal level, the
Senate passed S-1200, Senator
Simpson’s Immigration Reform
and Control Act. This bill covers
such areas as search warrants
(required to enter a farm), tem
porary foreign and seasonal
workers and amnesty.
A Commission on Temporary
Agricultural Workers Programs
will be established a Seasonal
Agricultural Worker Program will
be authorized and H-2 will be
replaced by a new category for
temporary foreign workers.
The House is currently con
sidering H.R. 3080, with some
differences. When and if a final
vote by the House, approval by a
conference committee and
signature byt he President occur,
the substance of the Act will be
provided in a future article.
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