How much of the cost of a head of lettuce goes to pay field workers Americans want work for $280.00 an hour?

I really don't care what happens to the price of produce. I'm more concerned about the tax dollars going to social programs for people who shouldn't rightfully be benefiting from them.

i partially agree. However i bleieve you over simplied the cost of labor. If the field workers are making $280 an hour, then you have to drastically increase the wage for everyone other person who is involved with that product, which requires at least an equal or higher level of skills. If not, they will all quit, and end up as field workers themselves. Saturating that job market and bringing wages back down to reality. So for the the field worker to make 280 an hour, you have to pay the field manager, the truck driver, the fork lift operator, the grocery store stock boy, the grocery store cashier, the grocery store managers all $280 more an hour. Now how much does your head of lettuce cost?

Brilliant. Of course some pro will probably come up with a stupid response that has nothing to do with what you have stated here.

Great argument. It is simplified a bit, and a pseudo-intellectual could argue against you since it is a little more complicated then that, but you are fundamentally correct (as wages increase, taxes increase, the employees would have to have benefits, etc.and be treated like human beings) All in all, paying a reasonable wage, like $10/hr may boost the cost of a head of lettuce by fifty cents. That is, if the guys running the lettuce farm would be satisfied maintaining their current profit. they wouldn't. Consequently, there will always be some scumbag using low-paid, illegal help to make a lot of extra bucks.It's the governments job to shut them down.

You brought up some good information and figures. It won't be to many years in fact it's taking place now because of the labor force not just the cost of labor that more farmers are building and buying machines to do the field work. Here in Calif. for example the tomato fields when ready had a crew of 15 or more picking them, now only has 8 per machine to pick the tomato fields. Every crop that the farmer can send to market by using machines in the fields will do so. It's not just illegal immigration that is a big factor, it cost more from seed to the table than many years ago. You don't want to give the farmer as in the cattle/meat business alittle room to operate, you'll soon find that alot of those crops/items will be to costly to produce and then the price because of supply and demand will be beyond what alot of people will be able to pay. It could reach the point of seeing what you had before in books and magazines or importing from other countries that don't have the safety standard there are in the States. Think about it and be careful how you go about complaining about all the farmers that are on the job 24/7, 365 days a year.

lettuce picking? is that the only jobs you think these people are doing? do you honestly think they are only working minimum wage jobs??? if you do you are very very mistaken!!!

Actually it's even less than that. Criminal immigrants are used most frequently during harvest.. A few days a year for a field. How much is the labor cost to pick up 1 head of lettuce from the ground and put it in a container? Probably a few cents.

Great post. I heard of the study and find it amazing that few people even know about it. Your post makes perfect sense. I have used this information when I debate others in illegal immigration.