Sugar 101: Putting American Jobs First
Farm policy is about much more than just the farm – it affects countless jobs from the field to the factory. Sugar is the main engine of economic growth in dozens of communities across the country, and much of the sugar made in America is done so by a union workforce. Supporting a strong U.S. sugar policy means supporting good, American manufacturing jobs.
Members of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) were recently on Capitol Hill to share how Florida’s sugar industry is central to their communities.
More than 11,000 family farmers grow sugarbeets and sugarcane. Real sugar is then extracted from those crops and packaged into the refined sugar in your pantry at factories, mills, and refineries across the country. The economic impact of the sugar industry adds up to $23.3 billion annually for the U.S. economy – all centered around businesses that are farmer-owned, employee-owned, or family-owned. Some of our farmers and workers are passing down multi-generational legacies.
Eddy Garcia is a second-generation sugar worker at Florida Crystals, following in his dad’s footsteps. His daughter is now the third generation working at the company. Nancy Gutierrez, a special equipment operator at Florida Crystals, is also a multi-generational sugar worker.
“These jobs are generational jobs,” said Cornelius Fowler, a tractor-trailer operator with Florida Crystals. Fowler’s family has been living in the Glades communities surrounding Lake Okeechobee for more than 80 years and maintaining a strong U.S. sugar policy and good American jobs is personal to his family.
“Working in the sugar industry has given me the ability to send my kids to college,” Fowler shared. “I am grateful to be able to do these things to ensure my family continues having opportunities to live the American dream. Manufacturing jobs are the backbone of our community… [having] good-paying jobs in our community only makes us stronger.”
Working in sugar has also opened doors for U.S. Sugar worker Jose Medina, who was joined in DC by his son Jose Jr. Medina started working at U.S. Sugar more than 23 years ago, starting as a laborer hauling sugarcane as it was brought to the mill and working his way up to the position of microbiologist.
“It’s been an awesome career – I graduated high school, I didn’t go to college, but I immediately [started working at] U.S. Sugar and worked my way up. I’m grateful. It’s brought my family stability and a chance to put food on the table.”
“I’m really proud of him,” his son said, smiling.
Terry Crawford, with 26 years of experience, and Roger Schultz, are also long-term employees at U.S. Sugar.
“Without these jobs, our communities would dry up. This is the lifeblood of us around the lake. It’s not just the sugar people themselves, you have every store, every parts store, the barbershops, the restaurants – someway they’re connected to sugar,” Schultz explained.
The stories of our Florida sugar workers illustrate how sugar affects just one rural region. Yet, our industry operates a vast and integrated supply chain, encompassing more than 100 domestic sugar factories, mills, refineries, and storage facilities. This network ensures a stable, reliable supply of sugar to American manufacturers and consumers while also providing critical job opportunities in hundreds of towns across the country.
If you missed the first two installments of Sugar 101, check them out here:
