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
July 2020
FREE
Your Voice. Your Rights.
A
S A FARMWORKER IN CALIFORNIA, you have the right to advocate for change in the workplace. Regardless of immigration status, the law protects your right to assemble and request better working conditions without the threat of retaliation from your employer. Employees are legally allowed to assemble and ask for improvements to work-related policies, employee treatment, and workplace conditions. If your employer responds to these efforts with threats or punishment, it is against the law. The Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) is a legal safety net for farmworkers met with punishment, job loss, or another form of retaliation by employers as a result of workplace advocacy. Services are free and available in your language. Immigration status
does not matter. You are not required to provide your identity.
ALRB in Action: Santa Maria farmworkers find workplace justice after being fired
Oscar* went to work one day along-
The DACA Decision
O
N JUNE 18, 2020, the Supreme Court upheld the decision to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) in place. The program offers two-year permits to immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, allowing individuals to work in the country and also defers deportion. In California, DACA status comes with additional benefits like in-state college tuition. For more information on applying for DACA or renewing DACA status, visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
English: www.uscis.gov/archive/consideration-deferred-action-childhoodarrivals-daca Spanish: www.uscis.gov/es/archivo/consideracion-de-accion-diferida-paralos-llegados-en-la-infancia-daca
Volume 30, Number 7 side his fellow farmworkers to harvest broccoli in Santa Maria. When they began working, weather conditions became stormy and dangerous: heavy rain soaked the workers clothing and strong winds made working conditions extremely cold and unmanageable. During the first break of the day, Oscar and the other employees huddled next to their vehicles, unable to seek shelter inside because their clothing was so muddy and wet. Workers were also unable to eat any food because of the harsh conditions. Although some workers had protective clothing, the employer did not provide appropriate rain gear for everyone else suffering in the wet and cold conditions. By lunch, Oscar and a group of workers assembled to tell the supervisor they were unable to continue working given the heavy rain and winds. The supervisor told workers that if they left, they shouldn’t return to work the following day, threatening their job security. When workers did return on the next workday, the employer said they were fired for leaving without permission. Farmworkers were able to file an unfair labor practice charge with the ALRB after being fired and suffering retaliation by their employer. In this case, workers were legally protected because they worked together to resolve unsafe working conditions. The employer’s retaliatory response was illegal. With the help of the ALRB, Oscar and the other fired workers were able to Continued on page 6