Kirk Johnson writes:
“Labor issues also show the tenuousness of the situation.
Much of southern Idaho’s growth since the recession has been linked to dairy products. And most of the workers in the dairies that supply that raw material are foreign-born, mostly from Mexico.
“You can’t talk about success in Idaho without talking about foreign-born labor,” said Bob Naerebout, the executive director of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.
Chobani’s founder, Hamdi Ulukaya, said his company had worked with Idaho colleges to provide technical training for workers to solve its own labor shortage as its factory was going up. He said he saw a huge opportunity for Idaho to build on food technology and safety as a larger industry cluster if partnerships and training could continue.
“Our biggest challenge is that we have to find a way to keep the young in Idaho,” Mr. Ulukaya said.
Shawn Barigar, the mayor of Twin Falls, said his community could not afford to lose any workers. The battle for survival, he said, whether rural or urban, will allow for only the strong and determined to survive and prevail.
“Whatever might be in the future, I think there are ways to adapt and not go away,” he said.”
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As several articles have pointed out, contrary to the views of immigration restrictionists, America’s continued economic success and greatness as a nation probably depends on more, rather than fewer, foreign workers.
PWS
04/03/17