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Spanish-speaking Immigrant Employees: 
A High Priority in Agriculture

by Trula M. LaCalle, Ph.D.
© 1998
(888) LACALLE   (888) 522-2553

mailto:lacalle@Bellaii.com

The value of the loyal and dedicated Spanish-speaking immigrant worker is understood as never before. Here are some reasons why: 

• Tighter immigration laws and enforcement are reducing the labor pool. 
  

• Agriculture and other industries increasingly must compete with foreign imports, forcing employers to require higher productivity from Hispanic employees. 
  

• The AFL-CIO in conjunction with the UFW saw their numbers decrease during the 1980's and
  early nineties, but organizers are again active and membership is on the rise.
  

• Non-Hispanic management has relied heavily on their Spanish- speaking foremen and supervisors to manage the Spanish-speaking workforce. 
  

• While contract labor solves many labor relations issues, the value of a trained, experienced, stable, and committed permanent employee is evident in the quality of production. 

How managers are responding 

Good employee relations with Hispanic workers has become tantamount to success. Growers are looking for ways to improve the cross- cultural and human relations aspects of their employee interactions. If workers are content, productivity and quality remain high while turn-over, union membership, and risk plummets. Non-Hispanic managers are learning how to better understand their immigrant employees, how t meet their needs, and how to manage them more effectively. Providing training, tailored benefits, and team-building experiences and rewards lends to increased job satisfaction among Hispanic supervisors and their crew members.

For assistance in developing your Hispanic immigrant employees,  contact or call:

Trula Michaels LaCalle, Ph.D.
phone: (888) LACALLE (888) 522-2553
e-mail: lacalle@Bellaii.com
fax: (707) 874-2136
Sacramento and Sonoma Counties, California, USA