La Voz del Campo - August 2019 - English

FA R M

L A B O R

I N F O R M AT I O N

B U L L E T I N

Voice of the Fields California

August 2019

FREE

Volume 29, Number 8

Protect Yourself From Wildfires

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LIMATE CHANGES, an increase in dead trees as fuel, and the proximity of residential construction in urban areas that border wildlands could lead to deadly wildfires.

As more people make their homes in areas that are likely to have wildfires, it is more important than ever to take steps to prepare for wildfire threats and reduce your health and safety risks.

In this issue of Voice of the Fields, we will share steps to protect yourself and your family from a wildfire, evacuate safely during a wildfire, guidance when working in smoke afflicted areas, and health and safety when you return home.

Be Ready Before a Wildfire

If you live in an area that has a likelihood of wildfires, make sure you prepare your home and keep your family safe.

SMOKE DETECTORS Install a dual-sensor smoke alarm on each level of your home. Test monthly and change the batteries at least once each year.

GO-KIT Have a disaster supply kit ready to take with you.

ESCAPE ROUTE have several planned escape routes away from your home – by car or by foot.

RADIO Stay tuned to local radio or television stations for information and instructions from local officials. If you are advised to evacuate your neighborhood, DO SO IMMEDIATELY!

WINDOWS/VENTS Close all windows, doors, vents and blinds before evacuating.

FLAME/SMOKE Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases.

Listen and watch for air quality reports and health warnings about smoke.

You can suffer from smoke even if you are not in the direct path of the wildfire.

FIREWOOD Stack firewood AWAY from your house.

VEGETATION Clean gutters, rake leaves, and remove dead tree branches from around your home.

WATER If there is a threat of a wildfire, you can use your hose or sprinkler to wet your roof and bushes around your house.

For more tips and wildfire preparation information, visit www.cdc.gov/ disasters/wildfires/index.html

Stay Safe During Wildfires

One of the biggest dangers of being near a wildfire is the smoke. Smoky conditions will irritate your eyes, nose, throat and lungs. It can make breathing difficult and it can make you cough or gasp for air. Children, pregnant women, senior citizens and people with asthma or other pulmonary diseases or heart conditions are especially vulnerable to breathing wildfire smoke. Here is what you can do to protect yourself from smoke: KEEP SMOKE OUTSIDE n Choose a room you can close off from outside air. n Set up a portable air cleaner or a filter to keep the air in this room clean even when it’s smoky in the rest of the building and outdoors.

REDUCE YOUR SMOKE EXPOSURE BY WEARING A RESPIRATOR n A respirator is a mask that fits tightly to your face to filter out smoke before you breathe it in. n You must wear the right respirator and wear it correctly. Respirators are not made to fit children. n Add one smoke (mask) respirator for each family member to your emergency kit before the fire season.

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Wildfires Continued from page 1 Some fire stations may offer respirators at no cost to your family in extremely smoked afflicted zones. n If you have heart or lung disease ask your doctor if it is safe for you to wear a respirator. n Avoid using candles, gas, propane, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, or aerosol sprays and don’t fry or broil meat, smoke tobacco products, or vacuum.

If you have a central air conditioning system, use high efficiency filters to capture fine particles from smoke. If your system has a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode or close the outdoor intake damper.

PROTECT YOUR PETS AND OTHER ANIMALS FROM WILDFIRE SMOKE n Keep Your Pets Indoors n Keep Your Indoor Air Clean n Be Ready to Evacuate – Make sure your pets are permanently identified in case they go missing (like with a microchip). Know if evacuation centers accept pets. n IF you must leave your pets behind, NEVER tie them up.

KEEP TRACK OF FIRES NEAR YOU SO YOU CAN BE READY n www.AirNow.gov has a Fires: Current Conditions link that you can check for fires in your area. n Listen to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio for emergency alerts. n

EVACUATE SAFELY You may be asked by public authorities to evacuate or you may decide to evacuate. Read about how to evacuate safely (www.cdc.gov/disasters/affectedpersons.html) and how to develop a family disaster plan (www.cdc.gov/cpr/ prepareyourhealth/), including:

Upcoming CVOC Events DATE Time

LOCATION/ Event

Friday AUGUST 23 9 am-4 pm

TURLOCK, DENAIR, HUGHSON Farmworkers outreach

Wednesday AUGUST 28 9 am-4 pm

PATTERSON, WESTLEY Farmworkers outreach

Friday AUGUST 30 9 am-4 pm

MODESTO EDD Spanish presentations

Contact Lucio Cruz: 209-357-0062

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Finding out what could happen to you n Making a disaster plan n Completing the checklist n Practicing your plan For more information on what to do during a wildfire, visit: www.cdc.gov/ disasters/wildfires/duringfire.html n

Upcoming CET Colton Events

1099 N. Pepper Avenue, Colton, CA 92324 DATE Time Saturday AUGUST 24 10a-1p

EVENT/ Location TACO’S ‘N TOURS Our Center is Open to our Community to take a tour and have some tacos!

Thurs.day WELDING LIKE A GIRL SEPTEMBER 12 Women’s empowerment 1p-4p workshops and learn to AND weld then enroll in our Thursday program!

OCTOBER 3 1p-4p Friday OCTOBER 18 3p-7p

FALL FIESTA BLOCK PARTY! Local Vendors, Resources, Employers, food! Nachos $2 Bring a friend and check out CET Colton!

Worker Health and Safety in Wildfire Regions

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MOKE FROM WILDFIRES and dangers from wildfire cleanup are hazards that workers and employers in wildfireprone regions must be aware of and understand.

Smoke from wildfires contains chemicals, gases and fine particles that can harm health. The greatest hazard comes from breathing fine particles in the air, which can reduce lung function, worsen asthma and other existing heart and lung conditions, and cause coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing.

If you are working in a smoke afflicted area, ask your employer for help staying safe.

Proper protective equipment and training is required for worker safety in wildfire regions. Employers are required to determine if there is “Harmful Exposure.” n When employees are working outdoors where the air is affected by wildfire smoke, employers are

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required by Cal/OSHA’s standards on “Control of Harmful Exposure to Employees” and “Respiratory Protection” to determine if the outdoor air is a “harmful exposure” to employees.

Exposure is harmful when the pollution or contaminants in the air cause (or are likely to cause) injury, illness, disease, impairment or loss of function.

Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, frequent coughing, and severe eye and throat irritation are signs of impairment or loss of function.

Employers are Required to Protect Workers if the Outside Air is Harmful

When exposure to wildfire smoke

is considered harmful, employers are required by Cal/OSHA’s “Control of Harmful Exposure” standard to take the following measures to protect workers: n Implement practical modifications to the workplace to reduce exposure.

Examples include providing enclosed structures or vehicles for employees to work in, where the air is filtered. n Implement practical changes to work procedures or schedules. Examples include changing the location where employees work or reducing the amount of time they work outdoors. n Provide proper respiratory protection equipment, such as disposable filtering facepiece respirators (dust masks), other half facepiece respirators, or full facepiece respirators if the previous measures are not feasible or do not prevent harmful exposures.

For more information on protecting workers exposed to smoke from wildfires and worker safety during cleanup, visit www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/ Worker-Health-and-Safety-in-Wildfire-Regions.html

Agricultural Jobs available to U.S. workers under H-2A contract You may apply for these jobs by phone or in person at your nearest Employment Development Department (EDD) field office CalJOBS Number

Job Openings

Start Date

End Date

50% Date

County

Commodity

Activity

AJCC

Phone

16636848

111

08/01/19

12/15/19

10/08/19

San Diego

Tomatoes and brussel sprouts

16687215

502

09/18/19

11/09/19

10/14/19

Lassen

Strawberry, Raspberry

Trimmers

Redding AJCC

530-225-2185

16706134

95

09/20/19

11/10/19

10/15/19

Siskiyou

Strawberries, Rasberries, and Garlic

Weeding, irrigating, trimming, harvesting, plant processing

Redding AJCC

530-225-2185

16706436

209

09/25/19

11/09/19

10/17/19

Lassen

Strawberry, Raspberry

Trimmers

Redding AJCC

530-225-2185

Planting, shed support Oceanside AJCC 760-631-6150 workers, foreman assistant, tractor driver, shed maintenance, mechanic assistant

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Wildfire and other Disaster Relief for Immigrant Californians

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HE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES has a Guide to Disaster Services for Immigrant Californians that provides detailed information about the different types of federal, state, and local disaster assistance services available in California. Although some of the resources are restricted to people or households with lawful immigration status, there are many services available to all Californians, no matter their status, who have been impacted by the wildfires Find the guide by visiting: immigrantguide.ca.gov/en/DisasterRelief/ the website at: www.cdss.ca.gov/ Some of the disaster relief inforesources/CalFresh/Disasterprograms include: n

Disaster Cal Fresh (All Individuals and Families May Apply) - Disaster CalFresh can help meet the temporary nutritional needs of disaster victims of modest incomes, regardless of immigration status, following a natural disaster such as a flood, fire, or earthquake. For more information on Disaster CalFresh, visit

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CalFresh Food Banks (All Individuals and Families May Apply) - Food Banks throughout California can provide relief to families affected by the wildfires by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost, regardless of immigration status. Locate a food bank in your area by going to www. cdss.ca.gov/Food-Banks

Disaster Unemployment Assistance - Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is a federal program that provides financial assistance and employment services to jobless workers and the self-employed when they are unemployed as a direct result of a major natural disaster.

When a major disaster has been declared by the President, DUA is generally available to any unemployed worker or self-employed individual who lived, worked, or was scheduled to work in the disaster area at the time of the disaster; and due to the disaster: no longer has a job or a place to work; or cannot reach the place of work; or cannot work due to damage to the place of work; or cannot work because of an injury caused by the disaster.

For more information on Disaster Unemployment Assistance, see California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) DUA Fact Sheet available at: [English] www.edd.ca.gov/pdf_ pub_ctr/de8714y.pdf [Spanish] www.edd.ca.gov/pdf_ pub_ctr/de8714ys.pdf n

Wednesday September25 10 am & 4pm

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Farmworkers Working Piece-Rate Could Be Owed Money

Know Your Rights Under Ab 1513 – Labor Code Section 226.2

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F YOU ARE A PIECE RATE WORKER, Labor Code 226.2 requires you be paid rest and recovery periods and “other nonproductive time” for piece-rate workers.

What are your rights as a What is piece-rate work?

Piece-rate work is work that is paid piece-rate worker?

for according to the number of units produced (e.g. a farmworker paid by the number of crops they picked). Piece-rate work may also be referred to as piece work, bonus, incentive, or contract work.

Additionally, if a worker receives an hourly wage plus a bonus paid according to their production, (such as per box, tray, bunch, or bail) they are also covered under these piece-rate laws.

California’s labor laws protect all workers, regardless of immigration status.

All employees in California have a right to paid breaks. If you are a piece-rate worker, you must be compensated for rest and recovery periods separate from any piece-rate compensation. Compensation for rest and recovery periods shall be the higher of (1) the applicable minimum wage or (2) the average hourly rate determined by your weekly compensation.

If you did piece-rate work at any time between July 2012 and December 2015, you may be owed unpaid wages. There is money that is still owed to piece-rate workers, especially for individuals who worked in any of the following counties: Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, Tulare, or Ventura.

To find out if you are owed backpay, please call the Department of Industrial Relations call center at (844) 522-6734 and be prepared to share your full name and name of employer(s) during the period above or contact AB1513@dir.ca.gov.

For more information on how to file a claim request visit: www.dir.ca.gov/PieceRateBackPayElection/How_to_Claim_Funds.htm (English) www.dir.ca.gov/PieceRateBackPayElection/Spanish/How_to_Claim_ Funds.htm (Spanish)

Online Adult Learning Options

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SA LEARNS® IS A WEBSITE FOR ADULTS to learn English and/or prepare for U.S. citizenship. The USA Learns courses include videos, activities, and quizzes that are easy to use and available online anywhere and anytime. There is no cost to learn and the website saves the learner’s progress so they know where to start the next time they sign in. ing, reading, and spelling skills.

English Courses

English courses include basic, intermediate, and practice options.

BASIC: 1st English Course—teaches topics like time, clothes, weather, places in the neighborhood, and more. English 1 Plus—provides practice for listening, speaking, writ-

INTERMEDIATE: 2nd English Course—covers topics like Workers and the Workplace, Housing and Family Life, Taxes, Law and Community Issues and more.

PRACTICE ENGLISH AND READING: uses real news stories

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to teach vocabulary, pronunciation, and spelling practice, along with comprehension questions and writing.

Citizenship Courses

The Citizenship course helps immigrants learn about the steps to becoming a U.S. citizen, practice for the interview questions, and study U.S. history and government for the Civics test.

To get started visit www.usalearns. org and click the red ‘Start Now’ button to register and select a course to study.

Source: USA Learns is a multiagency government collaboration project implemented by the Sacramento County Office of Education.

EDDResources Resources EDD

Voice of the Fields California Circulation: 45,000 copies

Workforce Services AJCC Locator ..........................1-877-872-5627 CalJOBSSM .......................................................................1-800-758-0398 Monitor Advocate, Report work related complaints ...........................1-866-289-8356 e-mail: ............................................................... madvocat@edd.ca.gov Unemployment Insurance English: ..........................................................................1-800-300-5616 Spanish: ........................................................................1-800-326-8937 Disability Insurance English: ........................................................................ 1-800-480-3287 Spanish: ........................................................................1-866-658-8846 Paid Family Leave English: ........................................................................ 1-877-238-4373 Spanish: ...................................................................... 1-877-379-3819 Ask EDD Request EDD information online: ..................... askedd.edd.ca.gov

www.LaCooperativa.org

www.edd.ca.gov

Published monthly by: La Cooperativa Campesina de California 1107 9th Street, Suite 420, Sacramento, CA 95814 This product was funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it.

Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.

Content produced by ALZA Strategies, a full-service strategy firm that offers quality media relations, crisis communications, public affairs ser-

H-2A Continued from page 3 CalJOBS Number

Job Openings

Start Date

End Date

50% Date

County

Commodity

Activity

16726603

75

09/28/19

11/01/19

10/15/19

Ventura

Strawberries and blueberries

Havest (Ground/Harvest Pro Machine), Crop Maintenance/Weeder, Irrigator, Row Boss, Stacker, Hoop House Worker, and CalVan Driver

805-288-8400

16725959

68

09/30/19

11/23/19

10/27/19

Ventura

Strawberry, Blueberry

General Labor; Tractor and CalVan Driver; Harvest

805-288-8400

16721088

80

09/30/19

10/20/19

10/10/19

Ventura

Berries

Machine & Ground Harvest, Transplanting, General Labor & CalVan Driver

805-288-8400

16717650

60

09/30/19

11/16/19

10/23/19

Monterey, Iceberg lettuce, San Benito romaine hearts, celery, strawberry, broccoli, cauliflower, and bunching items

16729957

98

10/01/19

01/31/20

12/01/19

Riverside

Citrus and Grapes

AJCC

Phone

Harvesting

Salinas AJCC

831-796-3600

Harvest and pruning of lemons, pruning of grapes and CalVan Driver

Indio AJCC

760-640-314

The H-2A temporary agricultural program allows agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the U.S. to perform agricultural labor or services of a temporary or seasonal nature. The H-2A employers must demonstrate that qualified U.S. workers are not available for the job and the employment of temporary foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers similarly employed. Preference in hiring will be given to qualified U.S. workers before employers are allowed to bring in foreign workers under the program.

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