Cell phones bring new leverage for farm workers

[Commentary] In Washington’s Yakima Valley, growers and workers alike say cell phones have helped to spread information faster than ever, tightening the labor market and spurring on competition for the best harvesters.

Cell phones are the place where farmworkers find out who is hiring and what they are paying. You ask a few questions about the job, get the foreman’s number, and if it seems promising, make the trip out to the orchard. Cell phones have reduced the “transaction costs” of looking for farmwork. It’s basic economics: free-flowing information leads to a freer market. For low wage workers without much clout, cell phones have brought a bit of leverage.