Attempting to Rationalize Agricultural Labor Markets: A Review of Experiences with Citrus Harvesting in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

摘要

This report provides an overview of efforts to improve the labor market for farm workers in the citrus industry of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas under the Citrus Labor Market Demonstration Project from 1974 to 1977. A primary aim of the effort was to increase productivity and incentives for workers to remain in citrus harvest work on a more stable basis. Meeting this objective would enable the industry to utilize legal U.S. workers rather than relying on undocumented foreign workers. Researchers worked with five packinghouses who agreed to cooperate with the project in varying degrees. Efforts were conducted in four areas: (1) improvements in fruit handling methods, (2) development of company crews hired directly by the packinghouse, (3) development of a variable piece rate system that adjusted to the amount of effort put to picking and (4) finding alternative employment during the off-season. For a variety of reasons discussed in this report, none of the attempts could be declared successful.