The recent worker strike at a Monroe cheesemaker highlights a larger issue regarding immigration, according to Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association Executive Director John Umhoefer. 

Last month, workers at W&W Dairy went on strike after new ownership required employees to verify their immigration status through E-Verify. Umhoefer explains that E-Verify is a national program required for dairy plants that make products for the government. He says the situation is highlighting a larger issue: America’s immigration system and what it means for the future of food production.

Umhoefer says dairy processing is growing, and therefore, it needs a growing workforce. Part of that answer is a smoother, modernized, year-round work opportunity for foreign labor.