The "guest worker" program has been dubbed the Agricultural Job Opportunity Benefits and Security Act of 1999. Introduced a year ago, it would provide legal status to the workers if they work at least five years as laborers in the fields. These workers would be guaranteed minimum wage, but it is not clear how the wages would be calculated.

An aspect of the debate on the bill has been whether or not employers should be required to provide housing to these workers. The employers claim that it is too costly and inefficient and they would prefer to give vouchers or some cash to them to get their own housing. But there is a housing shortage in many states, posing a crisis for agricultural and other workers.

This is not the first time that the big farmers and the U.S. government have supported such a program. A similar law was introduced under the bracero program in 1942 during the labor shortages caused by World War II. An agreement between the U.S. and Mexican governments allowed Mexican workers to come to the United States to work on farms and on railroads for temporary employment. This agreement was extended until 1964. Those programs made it harder for workers to unionize and to fight to improve their wages and working conditions because they are always under the threat of deportation.

This recent bill is supported by the California Farm Bureau Federation, the National Council of Agricultural Employers, and the governors of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as the Nisei Farmers League. It is opposed by the Farm Worker Justice Fund, Southwest Voter Registration Project, and United Farm Workers which have denounced this program as an "indentured servitude."

At a hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture in Woodland, California, last May, David Weiss, a supporter of this bill, testified on behalf of the California Pear Growers. Weiss said, "Unfortunately, most of this type of work does not appeal to the majority of Americans, regardless of the national unemployment rate. Growers must therefore look to Mexico for the workers we need to complete these tasks. Suffice it to say that were it not for our Mexican neighbors, pears and many other tree fruits would not be viable crops in California."

The unemployment rate in the Central Valley, the largest agricultural center in the country, is in double digits, one of the highest in the country. The big growers still complain about a shortage of labor, especially during the harvest. A large supply of labor works to the advantages of the growers who impose low wages and miserable conditions.

In the 20th U.S. Congressional District of California, which is in the San Joaquin Valley, from Fresno to Bakersfield, the candidates have opposite point of views. Richard Rodriguez, the Republican candidate, supports the plan, agreeing that there is a shortage of farm workers. Calvin Dooley, the Democratic candidate, opposes it because he claims that these workers would be responsible for a higher unemployment rate.

Ned Measel, the Socialist Workers candidate, sees this program as an attack on the working class in general. "This program allows the growers to create more divisions among working people by stipulating under the law that a category of workers has more limited rights. They can be deported any time and are forced to work only as field labor under increasingly harsh conditions. Every worker in this country must have the same rights and ability to seek employment where they choose," Measel said.

He added that the labor movement should fight for equal rights for all immigrants, with or without papers.

As part of his campaign, Measel visited with the Union of Sheepherders, an organization that started to organize shepherds five years ago. There are about 3,000 such workers who came to this country under the H-2A program, which allows sheep owners through the Western Ranchers Association to hire workers, mostly from Chile and Peru, on a three-year contract.

Ví ctor Flores, the president of the union, stated, "It used to be that when an employer was not satisfied with a worker they dropped them off in Bakersfield. They would frequently call the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The shepherd could then be deported. The organization," he continued, "has fought for shepherds who get injured on the job to get workers compensation and we are also going to several hearings to testify before the California Industrial Welfare Commission on the minimum wage." In California, these shepherds receive $900 per month, which comes out to between 96 cents and $1.12 per hour, Flores said, because they work from dawn to dusk, seven days a week with no days off.

In his visit, Measel also saw the typical living arrangements provided by the employers. Shepherds live in small campers next to the grazing flock where the air is thick with dust and flies. There is no electricity. The only source of water is a metal drum with a spigot that is replenished every three to four days. There is no bathroom. Several small propane tanks are the only source of fuel. And the workers are not permitted to leave the property. The Union of Shepherds, Measel said, is part of the rising resistance of workers and farmers around the United States. Measel called on the U.S. government to end all deportations and INS raids. "Workers from around the world have the right to come to the United States and to do so with equal rights and protections under the law. By opposing this bill and demanding equal rights for all immigrants, the labor movement can unify and strengthen the working class as a whole," he added.