Why Dewar Nurseries Is Speaking Out on Behalf of Its Workers
February 13, 2022 
Speaking up on behalf of your company, your team, or your livelihood may not be easy, but it is sometimes both important and necessary.
Such was the case recently at Apopka, FL-based Dewar Nurseries, one of Greenhouse Grower’s 2021 Top 100 Growers. Last month, a day after some local residents and an elected official made false claims about a group of immigrant workers dropped off at a hotel, Bill Dewar, the CEO of Dewar Nurseries, the company that temporarily hired the group, spoke to a local news station and defended the workers he had hired, and the legal process (the H-2A program) he followed to hire them.
“That program goes through the Department of Labor,” Dewar told Orlando’s News 6 (ClickOrlando.com). “It’s really an attack on humanity is what it is. I just hope that the misinformation goes away and people go off of their convictions and change what’s right and wrong.”
You can read the brief local news report here. We also reached out to Dewar to learn more, including why he felt the need to speak out.
“The story kept getting worse, and I felt I needed to step in to defend our program,” Dewar said. “I wanted to clear up misinformation, even though to some, it doesn’t matter.”
Dewar was also concerned that the transportation company he works with was also implicated in the disparaging comments, and he didn’t want a third party to be unnecessarily damaged.
“The H-2A program is a great program, and a lifeline for us,” Dewar said. “We need it, or we’d be in trouble.”
Dewar said he hopes his comments will make people think, and he hopes the next generation will be better.
“We need them to be,” he said.
More Advocacy Tips
Want to learn more about advocacy directly from your peers? AmericanHort’s Congressional Kickoff event in 2021 has been archived for on-demand viewing at AmericanHort Knowledge Center website for AmericanHort members. Not a member yet? Click here. This event featured input and advice from Mike Gooder at Plantpeddler, Michael Frantz at Frantz Nursery, and Ben Bulosky of FNGLA. The 2022 Congressional Kickoff takes place on Feb. 23. Registration is open now; click here to learn more.
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