Grant to help pork industry with immigrant labor
A new grant to University of Missouri Extension from the National Pork Board will help pork producers who rely on foreign labor through the TN visa program.
The program, which is part of the North American Free Trade Agreement, allows citizens of Canada or Mexico to work in prearranged part-time or full-time jobs in the United States.
Many TN visa workers hold at least a bachelor’s degree and are well trained. However, most do not speak English. Language is one of several barriers to long-term employment to be surveyed in this grant, said MU Extension state swine specialist Mag Lopez. The TN visa employee has been a largely ignored category of workers as it relates to workers’ cultural and professional background, academic history, goals and aspirations, which has had an impact on retention of employees, he said.
Workers will be asked in their own language about what makes their jobs more fulfilling, what could lead them to leave the farm for other opportunities and what tools and incentives would improve worker morale and retention on swine farms.
The survey will be conducted in six leading pork producing states: Missouri, Iowa, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois and Ohio.
