Rural Laws: October, 2002 - Number #8

Most of those detasseling corn are teens, who walk along half-mile long rows of corn that each have 3,000 to 4,000 plants; most detasselers cover 15 to 20 rows a day, or eight to 10 miles, and remove the tassels from 45,000 to 80,000 plants. Detasseling machines have trouble getting all the tassels, since the corn varies in height, and a few missed tassels can pollinate and ruin a field for seed.

DeCoster Farms agreed to pay $1.5 million to Hispanic women, about $200,000 each, who alleged they were raped and abused by supervisors at the company's egg plants in Wright County, Iowa. The women alleged that DeCoster supervisors in four egg-production plants sexually assaulted female employees and threatened to kill those who complained. About 340 people work at DeCoster Farms in Wright County.

Wisconsin. Migrants who used to move from south Texas to Wisconsin each summer and work in food processing plants are increasingly settling in Wisconsin. Milwaukee-based United Migrant Opportunity Services says 475 migrant families settled out in 2001, as migrants find year-round nonfarm jobs in manufacturing and meatpacking; some find year-round jobs in dairies.

Lakeside Foods in Belgium, Wisconsin, which freezes peas, green beans, corn, beets and potatoes, provides an example. The cannery has several camps for migrants- one houses 60 single men, another has 20 units for families, and a third houses single women and families (Wisconsin has 140 camps for migrants). During the June-September season, most workers are employed 60-70 hour a week for $6 an hour in their first season, and slightly higher wages for returnees; most cannery workers collect Unemployment Insurance benefits after the season ends.

Agrilink Foods in Green Bay won permission to build a 24,000-square-foot, 98-employee dorm for $600,000 to house seasonal workers, who the company said were 45-year-old Mexicans in the area without their families.. Agrilink said: "The benefit to the community is we're keeping a viable business open with this work force." Wisconsin has 6,000 migrant workers in about 120 camps, according to Mateo Cadena, director of the Bureau of Migrant Services for the Department of Workforce Development.

Some 120 Mexican men employed by landscaping company Torre & Bruglio in Pontiac, Michigan between April and November received new housing in August 2002 after eight houses were condemned. The men, who earned $7.54 an hour, had been paying $30 a week. The company employs about 250 migrant workers and 200 U.S. residents. Many Michigan employers are switching to solo men, since they are cheaper to house than migrant families.

Illinois. Monterey Mushrooms in DePue, Illinois employs 500 workers, 75 percent Mexicans. The Monterey plant sells about 400,000 pounds of mushrooms a week, and the piece-rate workers say they earn an average of $9 to $10 an hour working seven to 12 hour days.