THE PINEROS--Men of the Pines

[XemaSab]

Across vast tracts of rugged ground from Maine to California, Latinos do the dirty work in America's woods. They plant trees by the millions, thin out snarls of vegetation that stunt the growth of commercial timber and slash away the dense mats of brush and spindly trees that stoke forest fires.

They are pineros, the men who work in the pines. They are the major source of manual labor in America's forest industry, the muscle behind the Healthy Forest initiative - often paid in tax dollars to work on public lands. And they are being misused and abused under the noses of government officials.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/projects/pineros/

Intense, eye-opening article about exploitation of workers. First of three parts printed today.

[NVMojo]

1. We are shameful in this country when it comes to exploitation of poor

people ...shameful.

[xchrom]

2. grrrahhh - i hate the ''immigration'' conversation

in this country -- it's never based in reality -- our relationship with mexico is going to have to have a very open border.
it is anyway.

we have always had citizens of mexico coming back and forth -- but now we have the government legitimatly adding to the abuse.

[murray hill farm]

u know how we say...it is all about the oil...

the USA will no longer have an immigration issue with Mexico..the very day that Mexicos Nationalized Oil...goes public...that really is the issue behind what poses as immigration issues. Mexico will never privatize its oil...and so, the issue of immigration continues...as does the exploitation by the USA of Mexican immigrants.

[anotherdrew]

3. WHY? we are becoming a slave nation again... WHY?

[WhiteTara]

9. money n/t

[murray hill farm]

4. I just finished reading part one...

Amazing journalism!

[glitch]

5. Amazing journalism - you said it! I hope this is the future of print

journalism on the web. Important information well-researched, well-written and well-produced. Photos even. This reminds me of the old days of real investigative photo-journalism.

Thanks for posting!

[XemaSab]

6. You're welcome!

The print article in the Bee was 5 full pages, including 75% of the front page. An amazing journalistic effort.

[pinerow]

7. That happens to be my last name...sad to see used in such a manner..

NT

[XemaSab]

8. Being a forest worker

isn't something to be ashamed of, it's the companies that are exploiting them that should be ashamed.

[Elidor]

10. It seems to me

That ANY federal official working in the field should be required to report everything they see to the Dept. of Labor. Repeat offenders should be barred from government contracts. But that's not going to happen with republicans running the government, obviously.

[XemaSab]

11. According to the article,

the Department of Labor refused to take a complaint because it was written in Spanish.

:eyes:

[callady]

12. kick-must read

deserves front page

[XemaSab]

13. Kick

for part 2.

[XemaSab]

14. And kick for part three

!