Montrose - Daily Press

MONTROSE  — As the sun breaks over the horizon, the day has already started for the crews of Tuxedo Corn Company. Wednesday was the start of the about eight-week season of  “Olathe Sweet Sweet Corn” harvest.

Many of the faces working in organized teams of about 45 are not new. Local Olathean Ruby Pena is on her 15th year at only 29 years old. However, with less construction and other jobs available in a struggling economy, Tuxedo owner John Harold has seen more locals looking for jobs in the field than ever before.

Including the workers at the coolers and the three crews that will be running the field by the end of the week, 30 percent of Harold’s employees are local, 5 percent are new this year, he said.

With morning light hitting his face, Luciano Movillo, a migrant worker from Mexico, tosses ears of Olathe Sweet Sweet Corn towards packers on a mechanical harvester in a field west of Olathe Thursday morning. (William Woody / Daily Press) Advertisement

“I have a tremendous amount of applicants that come by to work,” Harold said.

By law, Harold advertised locally for seasonal workers about two months ago, but response was “minimal,” he said. About 35 days ago, he had to decide how many H2A visa workers he would contract with through the Department of Labor. After signing the contract, there is no turning back, he explained, as he has to pay at least 75 percent of those visa workers’ wages regardless.

“I’ve got some irate people coming by,” he said. “We advertised and did what we were supposed to do, but the economy has even since gone backwards. I have people here thinking that they (foreign workers) have taken their jobs.”

Locals — former golf course, construction and Telluride employees, and truckers — are coming in daily asking for a job. But Harold’s crew has been chosen.

“Once you do it (sign the contract), how do you turn back?” he said. “I didn’t have my fingers crossed when I signed those papers.”

Though it was only the second day of harvest, no workers have quit.

There are several benefits to hiring locals, Harold said. He doesn’t have to pay for transportation or housing, both of which he has to provide to visa workers. But there is also risk.

“If in fact the economy took off — hypothetically — then they (local workers) would take off. Then what do I do?” he said.

Most of Harold’s workers return, like Pena. She enjoys her summer job, which also allows her to work alongside her sister, mother, and father, all local Olatheans.

The crews arrive at the fields at 6 a.m. and for the first couple of weeks, they may not be done until 6 p.m., Pena said. It’s hard work, but these are hard workers, she said.

They are also happy works, whistling and singing as the machine creeps down the field.

“I pride myself in that they all feel important,” Harold said.

The “pea green machine” that Pena worked on Thursday has two long arms on which 10 women, five on each side, grab the crates or boxes, which are being constructed and shuffled down from workers above, and stock them full of corn. “Pickers” have one of the hardest jobs, Pena said. One worker, who speedily picks corn in front of the machine, confirmed, as he told Pena in Spanish with smile on his face, “We are the hardest workers ... and the fastest.”

———

For the full story, see today's print edition. The online story may not reflect all relevant information that was reported. We encourage readers to obtain the full story by reading the print edition or our e-edition, To subscribe, call (970) 252-7081 or click on the subscription link on the main page.

Comments