NORTHRIDGE, CA - A mass number of undocumented workers, especially those working in the fields. have been declared essential by the government. However many of them lack essential benefits such as minimum wage, overtime pay, and access to health insurance as they are exposed to the coronavirus to feed America.
(Credit, Sandy Huffaker / Getty Images)
Farmworkers usually work side by side and take packed busses that take them to work and bring them back home which exposes the risk of infection. A large number of farms around the country do not have a workplace protocol to keep them safe and if they were to get infected many do not have the income or insurance to get treated.
“We know that they're mostly immigrants today, in very low-paying jobs. With the exception of a small number that is protected by union contracts, they have few, if any, benefits,” he explains. “They must live, commute and work in very close quarters, often in substandard, unsanitary and crowded conditions,” says Marc Grossman, a spokesperson for United Farm Workers of America (UFW).
This has created an unusual situation for farm workers during the pandemic. Many fear becoming infected with the virus and getting their families sick, but can't afford to stay at home since the majority of them can't get help from the government due to legal status.
“You’re trying not to get exposed, but unfortunately we don’t have the ability to stop working,” said Carmelita, a farmworker in the fields of California’s central coast. “The state calls essential workers, but they’re not demonstrating our value. We’re putting ourselves at risk to feed the country.”
(Credit, Carmelita / grist.org)
Organizations like UFW have urged a reform both at the federal and state level. They want workers to have the tools needed to provide safety from the spread of the virus and financial necessities like hazard pay, financial support for childcare, and sick leave, among other benefits so they can continue to feed America.
By, Luis Miron
Photo, Sandy Huffaker, Carmelita
Audio, Luis Miron
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