El líder de los trabajadores agrícolas Edgar Franks durante la COP27. Crédito: Familias Unidas por la Justicia. Lea Los trabajadores agrícolas están presionando por la justicia climática en Washington y… Continue Read More
Farmworker leader Edgar Franks during at COP27. Credit: Familias Unidas por la Justicia Listen (Runtime 1:09) Read Agricultural workers are pushing for climate justice in Washington and are now taking… Continue Reading Washington Read More
Maria Luz Oppen, right, and Harriet Weber at their StoryCorps Northwest recording. Listen (Runtime 4:27) Read Moving 400 miles isn’t easy. Now, imagine it was on horseback and by foot.… Continue Reading Read More
Images recorded by Skagit County farmworkers who worked amidst the smoke in recent weeks. From Community to Community. Listen (Runtime 2:09) Read The emergency rules protecting outdoor workers from wildfire… Continue Reading Farmworkers Ask For Wildfires Read More
Trabajadores agrícolas y defensores del medioambiente pidieron al gobernador de Washington, Jay Inslee, que declare una emergencia climática en el estado. Continue Reading Trabajadores agrícolas piden que se declare emergencia Read More
Farmworkers and environmental justice advocates want Washington Governor Jay Inslee to declare a climate emergency in the state. Continue Reading Farmworkers Call For Climate Emergency Declaration in WashingtonRead More
El calor puede afectar gravemente a quienes trabajan al aire libre. Por el peligro que supone trabajar con calor extremo, el Departamento de Trabajo e Industrias de Washington, (L&I, por sus siglas en inglés), está elaborando normas permanentes para proteger a estos trabajadores. Por el momento, hay normas de emergencia en vigor hasta septiembre. Sin embargo, los Read More
Grape crop. Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash. Listen (Runtime 3:49) Read Heat can severely affect outdoor workers. Because of the danger of working in extreme heat, the Washington Department… Continue Reading Are Farmworkers Being Read More
Poster about heat related illness. Credit: www.weather.gov. Listen NWPB’s Johanna Bejarano reports on heat prevention (Runtime 0:52) Read High temperatures are expected across the country but not as severe in… Continue Reading Farmworkers To Receive Heat Stress Read More
Farmworkers' March Returns To Skagit County Continue Reading Farmworkers’ March Returns To Skagit CountyRead More
Women from Washington and across the country join the Bandana Project during Farmworker's Awareness Week and keep raising consciousness on Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The art-activism initiative celebrates its 15th year of calling attention to the sexual violence against farmworkers. Read More
Mujeres de Washington y de todo el país se unen al Proyecto Bandana durante la Semana Nacional de Concientización de los Trabajadores Agrícolas y al Mes de Concientización sobre la Agresión Sexual (SAAM, por sus siglas en inglés). La iniciativa de arte-activismo celebra sus 15 años llamando la atención sobre la violencia sexual contra los trabajadores del campo. Read More
Tras varios días de huelga y negociaciones, los trabajadores del tulipán del condado de Skagit llegaron a un acuerdo con Washington Bulb. Cortesía Edgar Franks/Familias Unidas por la Justicia Read… Continue Reading Tras Read More
A group of labor organizations, farmworker advocates and health experts are sending a letter to the Governors of Washington, Oregon and California with their recommendations on permanent rulemaking for heat and smoke protections for farmworkers. Continue Read More
There’s a new tool to prevent pesticide exposure and illness among Latinx farmworkers. The University of Washington created the app, “Pesticide Labels, Now!’ to address language barriers on technical labels written in English. Continue Read More
Over the past year, wildfire smoke has made the air quality in the Yakima Valley, Eastern Washington and parts of Oregon some of the worst in the country, and even in the world. When the air quality is bad, experts recommend people stay indoors, but that isn’t an option for outdoor laborers, like farmworkers. Read More
Washington on Friday became the second state in the Pacific Northwest in as many days to announce emergency rules that provide farmworkers and others who work outdoors more protection from hot weather in the wake of an extreme heat wave that is believed to have killed hundreds of people. Read More
As forecasters warned of a record-breaking heat wave in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada last weekend, officials set up cooling centers, distributed water to the homeless and took other steps. Still, hundreds of people are believed to have died from Friday to Tuesday. Read More
Some top agriculture groups are upset with Washington Gov. Inslee because farm workers were not covered in last week’s announcement that fully vaccinated employees do not have to wear a mask or socially distance at work. Continue Read More
Across the Northwest, many Latinx families are facing similar barriers to getting vaccinated and other issues. Adding to the complexity is powerful misinformation on social media and by word-of-mouth, the recent health concerns over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and religious reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Read More
The agriculture industry is asking Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee to move migrant farmworkers and food factory workers closer to the front of the line for the coronavirus vaccine because they perform work that cannot be delayed or performed remotely. Read More
Three Mid-Columbia farms are among those receiving the biggest fines in the state from the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries for serious violations of agriculture regulations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. More than 20 farms have been cited for inadequate COVID precautions, The Tri-City Herald reported. Read More
A divided Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday the state’s dairy workers are entitled to overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours a week, a decision expected to apply to the rest of the agriculture industry. Continue Reading Read More
According to community members in Bridgeport and Brewster, and farmworkers who spoke on the condition of anonymity, orchard supervisors told workers they needed to evacuate with little to no warning. Workers said they were told to grab their documents and quickly board company buses. Then, they were taken to a city park in Brewster, across the Columbia River. Read More
Farmworkers continue to pick Washington apples in the height of the state's harvest – even as the sustained smoke makes it hazardous to be outside, especially while doing strenuous work or exercise. Continue Read More
A study out Monday found that Hispanic and nonwhite workers made up 73% of cases associated with workplace outbreaks in certain industries, despite representing 24% of the workforce in those sectors. Continue Reading CDC Read More
Many of the county’s cases have spread in the small town of Brewster, where there is a large tree-fruit growing, packing and shipping industry. According to public health officials, there have been 885 positive cases in Okanogan County –– 518 in Brewster. Read More
Undocumented workers who lost income because of the coronavirus pandemic, but were passed over for federal assistance, will finally be getting some help in Washington state, thanks to a new $40 million relief fund. Continue Reading Read More
In the Columbia Basin, the Democratic challenger for Washington state’s 13th Legislative District house seat has focused his message on farmworker safety and called for the boycott of fruit. It’s quite a move for a candidate in a district where the economy is dominated by agriculture. Read More
Coronavirus cases in farm country have focused new attention on essential workers there, as well as the food supply chain. One issue is overtime. In most states, farm owners don't have to pay overtime to their employees. Now, a case before the Washington State Supreme Court could change that. Read More
In a lawsuit against fruit-growing giant Stemilt, workers say allegations stemmed from a change in production standards set forth in the company's guest worker contract. A separate case involved a challenge to Washington's rules on farmworker housing and sleeping quarters during the pandemic. Read More
Yakima County has the most COVID-19 cases per capita among West Coast states. The largely Latinx agricultural workforce helped secure the backbone of the local economy. Continue Reading During Pandemic, Yakima Farmworkers Kept Their Read More
So far this month, more than 400 Yakima Valley fruit packing workers have gone on strike, according to Familias Unidas Por La Justicia. The farmworker advocacy group, based in Skagit County, is helping these workers organize committees, negotiate with employers and seek legal advice. Read More
One of the most vulnerable groups currently working through the coronavirus pandemic is made up of immigrant farmworkers. As this population works through some of the unique challenges they face due to the coronavirus, one Tri-Cities radio station is trying to help. Read More
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is working with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to see how wage rates for immigrant farmworkers can be reduced. Critics say it will hurt all workers. Continue Reading White House Seeks Read More
Spring work starts up, ready or not. And Northwest growers are scrambling to figure out how to work around the global coronavirus pandemic and still bring in the coming harvest. Continue Reading Stumbling Toward Spring: Read More
Farmworkers are still working during the coronavirus epidemic. They're essential. But they're also at greater risk of infection. Continue Reading ‘Essential’ Status Means Jobs For Farmworkers, But Greater Virus RiskRead More
A delegation of Mexican government officials visited the Yakima Valley Monday to meet with dairy workers, most of whom are Mexican nationals. The group was looking to expand the role of the Mexican government in protecting the rights of workers. Read More
El miércoles 11 de diciembre, la Cámara de Representantes aprobó un proyecto de ley bipartidista que podría darle un camino hacia la residencia legal a miles de trabajadores agrícolas indocumentados. Continue Reading Read More
The possible impeachment of President Donald Trump is not the only thing moving through the U.S. House of Representatives. On Wednesday, the House passed a bipartisan bill that could give undocumented farmworkers a path to legal residence and relief to farmers short on labor. Read More
A class-action lawsuit argued in the Washington State Supreme Court Thursday is challenging the exemption of agricultural workers from earning overtime pay, alleging that it results in racial discrimination against the largely Latino workforce. Read More
H2A workers tend to be pretty isolated already. Housing is often tucked away in the orchards, away from towns, and getting sick can complicate things. Farmworker advocates criticize the H2A program can leave workers vulnerable. The exposed workers in Mattawa, near Vantage, Wash., are now stuck on the farm until the disease passes. It’s a long period of isolation, which Read More
Smoke from wildfires is blanketing much of the West. That's ruining some crops and may be stunting others. And it's making it difficult or unsafe for laborers to pick the harvest. Continue Reading As Wildfires Burn, Smoke Chokes Read More
You’ve probably seen and felt it this week: a blanket of grey haze over large parts of the region. Smoke from wildfires in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and California has led to poor air quality, causing health experts to caution: minimize your exposure. So how do people who work outdoors fare? Read More
Oregon has adopted new rules to protect farmworkers from pesticides.
The new regulations establish zones around pesticide applications that workers cannot enter. It also allows workers the choice to take shelter in housing or other structures instead of moving away. Read More
The housing shortage in Yakima is coupled with a farm labor shortage. When workers do come, where do they live? The largest farmworker complex in the state opened in Yakima this month. The revamped FairBridge hotel now hosts 800 beds for temporary farm workers. As it opens, critics think it may set a dangerous precedent: Other farmers might start buying up area housing for Read More
Yakima will soon be home to the largest farmworker housing complex in Washington. The revamped FairBridge hotel officially opened Friday, June 1, and the first guest workers will be housed there beginning June 11th. Read More
May Day demonstrations happened around the Northwest May 1, including in Latino-concentrated Yakima. The peaceful gathering focused on immigration reform. But the turnout was low compared to previous years with only a couple hundred people there. Read More
Most people think of asthma as a city kid problem — but it turns out rural kids are just as likely to have asthma. And the children of the people who grow our food are especially vulnerable. Researchers at the University of Washington and the Yakima Valley Farm Workers’ Clinic are working on a new approach to solving the problem. Read More
Barbaro Rosas and Guadalupe Tapia both picked blueberries for Sarbanand Farms in Sumas, Washington. Rosas and Tapia are now part of a lawsuit hoping to gain class-action status alleging workplace labor violations by the farms. Continue Read More
