Picking and Packing for the North Agricultural Workers at Empaque Santa Rosa

1. Picking and Packing for the North Agricultural Workers at Empaque Santa Rosa Mika Barrett

2. Globalization from above • United States is looked at as the giant north • not only swallowed up the majority of tomatoes produced but also drawn migrant workers as cheap labor in American fields • Mexico or U.S: they are picking corporate tomatoes for northern markets • Migrant workers go to the north in search of better wages and working conditions • How did it come to this? • No longer make a living • They own nothing/control nothing • Only future is to continue working

3. NAFTA • NAFTA was founded in the 1970’s • became one of the largest producers in Mexico • Family Company, made $300 million in 1996 • Employ 12,000 people, 90% are fielders • Plant and harvest 6000 hectare of field tomatoes • 80 hectare of greenhouse production

4. NAFTA in Mexico • Independence in Mexico • Presidents favored large commercial export industries • NAFTA benefits from Mexico’s fruits and vegetables • Made land more accessible • year-round production • cheap labor for peasants • Expanded tomato growth into three states in order to keep year round production • Expansion to California to keep transformation costs low

5. Santa Rosa • Take advantage of trade liberalization in the 1980’s • Domestic companies become global • Santa Rosa changed fast • expanded and added technology for production, packing and sales

6. Use of Technology • Increase investment in machinery and agrochemicals • Resulted in decrease in wages • Saving a water cost • used rationalized water such as drip irrigation in greenhouses • Workers productivity increased due to advances • seeds were easier to pick • speed of work increased • accuracy increased • Supplied the north with 85% of it’s produce • Some were gassed with ethylene • over production or waiting for the price to rise

7. Greenhouse Production • Latest technological development • took advantage of accessible land, prevalent sun and cheap labor • plant growth was through drip irrigation and organic fertilizers • Holds majority of shares in tomato growing • 60 hectares are growing 8 months of the year • yielding four time the amount possible in open field production

8. Gendered Fields • 1932 Women entered the workforce as packers • build competition with American Producers • Women are considered more gentle and flexible with this fragile fruit • “Firms use gender ideologies to erode stable employment and worker rights where women were concerned” • Mid 1990’s • Primarily female workers • Two thirds were under 24 • Majority were between 15-19

9. Family Wage Economies • Family has always been central to agriculture production • Small farms run on family labor • Child Labor Laws, Mexico • Minimum wage is very low • Survival of families depend on combining income between several families

10. Sexual Division • Traditional notions are the reason behind men and women work • economic, political and cultural • Men have heavier jobs requiring physical strength • Women typically do the planting, pruning, sorting and packing • Argued that women are more skilled at intricate tasks • more efficient, productive and responsible than men