For weeks since Georgia passed its outstanding immigration enforcement law HB87, there has been a constant drumbeat of attack from agricultural interests, using a very willing media, claiming that illegals were fleeing Georgia and there was no way to replace those workers with Americans who simply find it beneath them to pick peaches or dig up Vidalias.
Nonsense – just as is the amnesty-pusher’s refrain that these are jobs “Americans won’t do”. In a stunning and unexpected Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) report, one large Georgia grower regularly favored foreign workers over American employees:
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a June 20 filing that Hamilton Growers of Norman Park, Ga. was engaging “in a pattern or practice of regularly denying work hours and assigning less favorable assignments to U.S. workers” in favor of laborers from the government’s agricultural guest worker program, known as H-2A. It also said there’s evidence the company engaged in a pattern of “discharging U.S. workers and replacing them with H-2A guestworkers.”
The H-2A guest worker program is a temporary visa program which is regularly abused by both foreign nationals, who typically deliberately overstay their visas (they are only valid for up to 364 days) as well as growers, who very often claim to have “H2As” employed, but know full well their workers are simply illegals who presented phony or no ID when hired. In Georgia, the vast majority of foreign nationals working fruit and vegetable growers are illegal aliens.
But this case demonstrates, as plaintiff’s lawyer Leah Lotto said, “the lengths to which growers will go to avoid hiring a U.S. work force in favor of more easily exploitable” foreign workers. This is quite at odds with those complaints about HB87 we heard from Georgia growers after Gov. Nathan Deal signed it back in June, claiming that such work just “does not appeal to most native born workers.” However the roughly 40 American farm workers who sued Hamilton Growers said they were “assigned fewer hours and made less money” than foreign workers, and that some of them were “eventually fired because of their race“. They were all thrilled to have the work, but disgusted with how they were treated in contrast to the H-2A foreigners.
And one can imagine from the EEOC filing how much more preference is likely given to illegals without visas – who can be far more easily exploited. After all, the H-2A program mandates “The wage or rate of pay must be the same for U.S. workers and H-2A workers,” and an “active effort, including newspaper and radio advertising, to recruit U.S. workers in areas of expected labor supply.” Whether or not these growers even bother to follow the rules on foreign visa workers, hiring illegals is far easier, and American workers would likely be treated even worse than these modern-day slave laborers.
The case now heads to settlement. But we hope Ms. Lotto and the workers push for a court trial. Companies like Hamilton, which selfishly exploit foreign workers while cynically trashing American ones need to have an example made of them – and pay a steep price.
In the meantime, you may wish to let Hamilton Growers know what you think of how they treat American workers: (229) 769-3675.
UPDATE: For those asking which brands Hamilton is behind so they can boycott, here is one we found: Southern Valley Fruit and Vegetables.
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Please tell us how we can find out what products this company puts out, or what they supply to who……if I know what these companies are producing and selling, I will boycott them. Maybe if we hit them in the pocket book, they will think twice about hiring illegals instead of U.S. citizens who need and want the jobs!!!!
Eileen – Here is one of their brand: http://southernvalley.us/home.htm
CEO is KENT T HAMILTON
Office Address:
4160 COOL SPRINGS RD
NORMAN PARK GA 31771
Agent County: COLQUITT
It’s not that Americans will not do this work, this is what has been stated by government (looking for amnesty) and the corporations looking for cheap labor. For years this is what was stated until people were brainwashed into believing it. The truth is Americans will do this type of work but they will not be exploited. 60 years of progressives pushing their agenda through their lies is up. I remember when Americans did this type of work and were shoved out by illegals and greedy companies, the gig is up and time to give the work back to Americans. We no longer are buying your sack lies to justify your greediness and voting agendas.
“Companies like Hamilton, which selfishly exploit foreign workers while cynically trashing American ones need to have an example made of them – and pay a steep price.” what do they care they will just pass that steep price on to the consumer….there has to be a better way to stop the hiring of illegals.
They can’t pass stiff prison sentences on to their customers. 5 year hard labor for each illegal hire for the CEO and a year with him for any manager oughta fix the problem.
That company hamilton growers is a good example of what will happen when all this mexican’s take over, i worked for that company for 4 years and let me tell you this people won’t take an eye of you untill you surrender and go away it was the worst racism i been my whole life, that company is 100% mexican you feel like a stampede is coming in all directions these people really make look like racism and feel proud of it, the manager of the field Fermin Palomares is getting rich with these people because what they pick in the fields is what they get paid for not the minwage they are guaranted, we should all get together and boycott this company before the mexicans take over.
I Worked for that company Hamilton Growers the years 2005-2007 and they were not paying these workers the minwage if there are someone out there who works for legal services, i got a lot of information on this employer and willing to sued, but i dont think the guess workers or the illegals that work there would take part of this because they were a part of the scheme, that was part of overtaking these jobs beside they told me that they dont care about the pay cause they earn 5 to 6 times what they earn in mexico..i think that’s why they were discharging the us workers.