Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
figure 5.6.Workers—underwatchfuleyeofoverseer—haulingbananaswithmules
(c.1925).UnitedFruitCompanyPhotographCollection.BakerLibrary,Harvard
BusinessSchool.
withspeedandcare,butrain,mud,anddarknesscombinedwithworkers'
own initiatives to increase their earnings lowered the odds that the two
goals could be consistently met.
The work of ditch digging, weeding, and harvesting shared in com-
mon a piece-wage system that attempted to accelerate the pace at which
campeñoslaboredwhilesimultaneouslyplacingtheburdenofdealingwith
subtlebutsignificantagroecologicalvariationsuponworkers.Inmuchthe
same way that ditch diggers encountered a range of soil conditions, har-
vesters confronted fickle mules, inclement weather, and variable hauling
distances.
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Workers also tended to bear the burden of ensuring that the
fruit they harvested conformed to the grade and quality standards of ex-
port markets. Squeezing extra earnings out of the piece-wage system took
considerable creativity and guile. Some individuals tried to earn more by
cutting corners; others tried to work less through deception. Whatever
