Promise Unfulfilled: Unions, Immigration, and the Farm Workers (ILR Press books) (Paperback)

by Philip L. Martin (Author)
Key Phrases: United States, Supreme Court, Cesar Chavez (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In 1975, after vigorous campaigning by the United Farm Workers union, the state of California passed Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA), a pioneering self-help strategy granting farm workers the right to organize into unions. A quarter century later, only a tiny percentage of farm workers in the state belong to unions, and wages remain less than half of those of nonfarm employees. Why did the ALRA fail? One of the nation’s foremost authorities on farm workers here explores the reasons behind its unfulfilled promise.

Philip L. Martin examines the key features of the farm labor market in California, including the shifting ethnicity of the worker pool and the evolution of the major unions, beginning with the Wobblies. Finally, he reviews the impact of immigration on agriculture in the state.

Today, many states look to the California experience to assess whether the ALRA can serve as a model for their own farm labor relations laws. In Martin’s view, California's efforts to grant rights to farm workers so that they can help themselves have failed because of continued unauthorized migration and the changing structure of farm employment. Martin argues that alternative policies would make farming profitable, raise farm worker wages, and still keep groceries affordable. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap
"In Promise Unfulfilled, Philip L. Martin explains why most attempts to improve the lot of farm workers have failed and how current policy debates will shape the future. His book is the best available analysis of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act and the Agricultural Labor Relations Board."—Bert Mason, California State University, Fresno, and former member of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board

"This book is a very useful overview of farm labor market issues. Philip Martin presents a balanced and well-considered discussion of the issues that arose when California farm workers were granted rights previously available to non-farm workers throughout the nation."—Don Villarejo, founder and director emeritus, California Institute for Rural Studies --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801488753
• ISBN-13: 978-0801488757
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,354,197 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)