A2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 18, 1987
Goodling Seeks Better Farmer
BIGLERVILLE—
Congressman Bill Goodling
(PA-19), member of the House of
Representatives’ Committee on
Education and Labor, south to
improve relations between local
farmers and their migrant workers
at a hearing held by the House Sub
committee on Labor Standards in
Biglerville on Monday.
“I believe it is very important
that we develop a non-adversarial
relationship between those farmers
providing migrant workers with
jobs and the workers themselves,”
Goodling said in his remarks at the
hearing. Allegations of harassment
of farmers have been made recen
tly by local growers as migrant
State’s Apple
HARRISBURG—FoIIowing
legislative changes that give grow
ers more control over marketing
programs, Pennsylvania apple pro
ducers have voted for a five-year
program to promote the sale of
Pennsylvania apples. Under the
program, producers will pay 7
cents for each bushel of apples sold
for fresh market and 4 cents per
hundred pounds on apples sold for
processing. That assessment is
expected to raise $250,000 annual
ly to support a marketing program
administered by a 10-member
board made up of affected apple
growers.
The vote followed action by
Governor Robert P. Casey, who
worked for recent amendments to
the Pennsylvania Agricultural
Commodities Act. Those amend
ments returned control of com
modity marketing programs to
producers. When the changes were
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workers and their representatives
have sought to make claims under
a federal law protecting migrant
farm workers.
The law, the Migrant and Sea
sonal Agricultural Worker Protec
tion Act, provides workers with
the right to file claims against far
mers who may be in violation of
the housing and work condition
provisions of the law. Farmers
argued that the workers and their
representatives are using the letter
of the law to harrass growers,
which is one of the problems the
law was intended to correct.
The hearing was held at Bigler
ville High School Monday, July
13, 1987. Congressman Goodling
Growers Approve Checkoff
signed into law on May 6, they
fulfilled a campaign commitment
by Governor Casey.
Agriculture Secretary Boyd E.
Wolff indicated producer
controlled marketing programs
hold the key to success for Pen
nsylvania farmers. “Apple grow
ers know what’s good for apple
growers, so there is no doubt this
program will address the concerns
and needs of Pennsylvania produc
ers,” said Secretary Wolff.
Producers with 500 or more
apple trees cast ballots in a referen
dum from June 23 to July 8. The
program was approved by 59 per
cent of 171 affected producers.
Those favoring the program pro
duce 74 percent of the apples pro
duced by the group voting. “Yes”
votes were cast by 101 producers.
State Agriculture Secretary
Boyd E. Wolff called for the vote
in June, after 11 growers and the
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arranged for the special field hear
ing after receiving a number of let
ters and complaints from both
sides of this issue.
In an opening statement Goo
dling said, “Many times when we
pass legislation in the Congress of
the United States, the intent of that
legislation is not always carried
out through the regulations that are
written or, in some instances, the
way the programs are
administered.
“Recently, I was asked to be the
keynote speaker at an Agricultural
Labor-Management Development
Symposium. I was not given any
specifications m relationship to
State Horticultural Association
(representing over 260 producers),
testified in favor of the program
during a hearing in Harrisburg.
In the spring of 1985, producers
decided to get rid of an apple mark
eting program after a legal opinion
under the Thornburgh administra
tion put the program under control
of the Agriculture Department.
The new program is controlled by
a 10-member board made up of 9
apple producers and chaired by
Secretary of Agriculture Boyd E.
Wolff.
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When Performance
Makes The Difference
Worker Relations
what I was supposed to say and,
therefore, spoke of happenings in
my district according to letters and
telephone calls received from my
farmers.
“I indicated that unless those
who are representing migrant
workers, supported by grants from
the Government of the United
States, acted m a conciliatory and
helpful rather than adversarial
manner, farm ownership may be
destroyed and, therefore, no jobs
would be available for
farmworkers.
“After giving my address, I was
approached by an attorney for
Friends of Farmworkers who was
disappointed with my remarks and
indicated that they have developed
an excellent relationship with the
farmers in my area. That is totally
opposite to the information I have
heard from my constituents, who
speak of a relationship of intimida
tion and fear rather than
cooperation.
“Several days after the Sympo
sium, I also received an unbeliev
able note from a local man of the
cloth, although he didn’t sign it in
that manner nor do I believe a
minister would write that kind of
note. He too asserted that Friends
of Farmworkers were in touch with
the feelings and views of the
producers.
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the intent of the Act was to make
sure farmworkers would not be
abused and, at the same time,
employers have the benefit of the
government carefully explaining
to them what the law provides and
working closely with the govern
ment and worker representatives in
a non-adversarial manner to bring
about compliance, it would be ben
eficial to have the Committee hear
from people who are administering
and attempting to comply with
Congress’ intent.
“Serving with Congressman
Bill Ford on the Interstate Migrant
Education Council, we are the two
Members of Congress who most
closely track the welfare of
migrant children and, of course,
this has us dealing closely with
their parents. Therefore, I am very
concerned about how these people
live as they travel across the
United States.
“It has been my experience in
the 19th Congressional District
that the relationship between farm
workers and their employers
becomes more of a family relation
ship rather than an employer/
employee relationship. Therefore,
I believe it is very important that
we develop a non-adversarial rela
tionship between those providing
the jobs and those performing the
tasks, as well as those representing
the workers, to protect both.”
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