Who Works Here? Non-family Labor and Immigrant Labor on U.S. Dairy Farms

• In Event: 036 - Section on Labor and Labor Movements Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 07. Immigrant Labor Experiences in the United States

Abstract

The US dairy industry has undergone significant concentration in recent decades, with fewer but larger farms. Coincident with this restructuring, dairy farms are also more likely to rely on non-family labor and immigrant labor than ever before. This transition has not always been easy, and many dairy farms struggle with labor management while immigrant workers have faced extreme cases of labor rights violations. In this study we analyze a survey of dairy farmers in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida to examine rates of non-family employment, both full and part-time, across farm sizes and comparing “family farms” to others. We also examine rates of immigrant labor across farm size and structure and conclude by examining labor stability and employee turnover. We find that a significant minority of farms employ non-family labor, with high rates of overtime work. 14% of farms report having cultural or language barriers with employees, with larger farms and non-family farms significantly more likely to employ immigrant labor. Those farms with immigrant labor have higher proportions of overtime work and more employee turnover. Together, our findings suggest that non-family labor varies significantly by farm size and structure and that immigrant labor on dairy farms has distinct employment patterns.

Authors

• Rebecca L. Schewe, Syracuse University

• Bernadette Marie White, Syracuse University