Support:
AgJobs: currently has bi-partisan support with 50 co-sponsors, an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. Farmworker advocates and agricultural employers both support this proposal. The leadership of both parties in the House and Senate also support this bill.

President's proposal: Unclear, as no bill has been proposed. Immigrant rights groups, labor, and the Democratic Party have all strongly criticized the proposal, as have many conservative Republicans

Impact:
AgJobs: Applies to agricultural workers only, an estimated 500,000 nationwide

President's proposal: Undocumented workers working in industries where "documented" worker shortage exists, estimated to be 8 million workers

Who Qualifies:

AgJobs: Any agricultural worker who has worked at least 100 days in any twelve month period between March, 2002 and August, 2003.

President's proposal: Worker who works in industries where "documented" worker shortage exists, who in turn is sponsored by their employer

Road to Legal Status:

AgJobs: Upon qualifying workers will receive a temporary work permit. Their immediate family members will receive the right to live in the U.S., but not to work. The qualifying worker will then have to work a total of 360 days over the next 6 years to qualify for permanent legal status, at which point his or her family will also receive legal status.

President's Proposal: Upon qualifying, a worker will be allowed to work a maximum of three years, at which point they must return to their country of origin. It is unclear if family members will also receive legal status to reside in the U.S. during the three year period. In order to re-enter the country, the worker must again be sponsored by their employer. The President's proposal is unclear as to when, if ever, a worker will finally attain permanent legal status

Other differences:

AgJobs: Provides for streamlining the current "guestworker" program, which allows for foreign workers to come into the U.S. to fill positions where there are insufficient domestic workers (in Washington, for example, Peruvian sheepherders have been brought in under this program).

Why we support SB 1645:

This bill was the result of three years of negotiations between the United Farm Workers of America and the nation's agricultural industry and reflects an historic compromise between farmworker advocates and agricultural employers. President Bush did not consult with any immigrant, farmworker, or labor representatives in developing his proposal. AgJobs establishes objective criteria for workers to qualify and ultimately obtain permanent legal status. The President's proposal subjugates workers to their sponsoring employers and creates an on-going dependency. If a worker dares complain about the conditions of their employment, chances are better than not that the employer will decline to sponsor that worker in the future. Many of the workers who may qualify for the President's proposals are established members of our community. To require them to leave every three years is unfair and unjust, given the vital role they fill in the U.S. workplace. Finally, the President's proposal does not outline a clear path for workers to obtain permanent legal status. In fact, their legal status may very well expire years prior to ever becoming eligible for permanent status given the current applicant backlog. In essence, this proposal will create a subclass of workers more subject to employer abuse with vague at best hopes of ever obtaining true legal status.