Between 1-2 million people (some sources estimate more) toil as agricultural laborers in the U.S., planting, tending, and harvesting the crops that help feed our nation. The majority of these workers are recently-arrived immigrants, mostly from Mexico, though some are from the Carribean, and various Latin American and southeast Asian countries. Farmworkers endure long hours of work for little pay, as well as harsh working conditions and exposure to dangerous pesticides. Approximately half of all farmworkers in the U.S. live and work in the state of California, but there are farmworkers in the Pacific Northwest who work in the apples, hops, asparagus, and cherry harvests. Farmworkers in Ohio pick tomatoes and cucumbers, in North Carolina they harvest tobacco, and in Florida they work in the mushrooms, oranges, and tomatoes. Farmworkers are not covered under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which governs most workers' right to organize into a union and engage in collective bargaining.
Labor Camps
While some farmworkers live in regular apartments or houses, many live in company-owned labor camps. Sometimes no rent is charged, but most workers pay to live in labor camps, often crowded 3 or 4 people to a small room. Conditions are often unsanitary and offer little or no privacy. There are camp managers who act as the eyes and ears of the company, observing which workers raise complaints, and which workers discuss the option of organizing into a union to improve their living and working conditions. Since labor camps are not subject to regular landlord-tenant laws, the owner can evict workers very quickly—as quickly as 24 hours—if workers complain about their wages or housing situation.
Dangerous Pesticides
Farmworkers are exposed to pesticides on a regular basis, including pesticides which cause cancer. Farmworkers routinely mix and apply pesticides with little or no knowledge of the chemical they are working with, and how it could affect their health. Few farmworkers raise complaints about these dangerous chemicals for fear of retaliation such as reduced hours of work, or being fired and evicted from company owned housing.
The Farmworker Movement: Decades of Struggle
Farmworkers in the U.S. have been striking for better wages and working conditions for many decades. In the 1960's, the United Farm Workers (Ufw) established itself in California (and later in other states), and helped workers to organize, sparking enthusiasm across the country. The Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) was formed in Ohio and won union contracts in Ohio and southeast Michigan. In Oregon, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN) organized farmworkers and won collective bargaining agreements as well. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is active in Florida. We support all of these groups in their efforts to organize and empower farmworkers. We also support the National Farm Worker Ministry, the oldest and most active religious organization supporting the farmworker struggle.
Guestworker Programs: Indentured Servitude
There are over 40,000 workers brought to the U.S. each year for temporary work in agriculture. We oppose these programs. See our Immigration webpage for more information.
back to top
For more information
or to join the movement for justice for farmworkers:
|
