• Skip to main content
Farmworker Advocacy Network

Farmworker Advocacy Network

Working for a Harvest of Dignity

  • About
  • Resources
  • Press
  • Farmworker Facts
  • For Members
    • Calendar
    • Meetings
    • Member Resources
    • Directory
    • Bylaws
    • Forms
    • Logout
  • Act Now
  • Donate
  • Español

Search Farmworker Advocacy Network

Angelica Santibanez

‘We’re not disposable’: Agricultural workers demand COVID-19 protections from state

November 6, 2020 · Raleigh News & Observer

RALEIGH

Statewide and local organizations gathered in downtown Raleigh Thursday night to repeat calls to state officials to mandate rigorous protections for workers in the meat processing and produce agriculture industries in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The North Carolina Farmworker Advocacy Network, a coalition of groups calling for Gov. Roy Cooper’s office and the North Carolina Department of Labor to protect workers, also held a vigil for the largely Latino immigrant essential workers who died due to COVID-19 contracted while on the job.

The coronavirus spread rapidly throughout the spring and summer in various meatpacking plants and the housing facilities of seasonal immigrant farmworkers, both places where workers are in close quarters and where COVID-19 safety recommendations were in place, but not mandatory laws.

Large skeleton figurines and a giant puppet representing the sun loomed over the crowd at the event at Bicentennial Plaza, which featured a Day of the Dead-style altar with candles and images of laborers who died from COVID-19 related causes.

“Since March, essential workers, especially farmworkers and processing [plant] workers, have risked their lives at work,” said Lariza Garzón, executive director of the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry in Harnett County. “North Carolina’s food system and the profitability of farms and meat processing plants have been maintained at the expense of these workers’ health and safety.” 

Cooper told the labor advocacy groups of NCFAN in the summer that he would issue an executive order for sweeping protections for farm and plant laborers, but he backed down from issuing the order after pushback from state labor and agriculture officials, The News & Observer previously reported.

COVID-19’S TOLL ON WORKERS

Since April, the state Department of Health and Human Services reports, at least 19 deaths were related to virus clusters at meatpacking plants. It attributes 3,859 cases to them in a new weekly report on clusters.

Another DHHS report attributes 3,799 cases and 17 deaths to the category of congregate living facilities, which includes immigrant farmworker housing. The exact number of affected farmworkers is unknown.

Johnston County farmworkers recently featured in a series of stories on climate change by McClatchy had a virus outbreak at their housing, workers and advocacy groups told The N&O.

Several farm and poultry plant workers spoke at the event in Spanish through a translator, denouncing a lack of protections at their jobs, such as paid time off, sick leave, or enough access to personal protective equipment. They also spoke about being required to show up to work while feeling sick and not being allowed paid time off to recover from the virus.

Out of economic need, many immigrant workers continued to work as coronavirus outbreaks struck workplaces, such as in meatpacking plants — where state health officials have refused to disclose virus data by facility, as was done for nursing home facilities.

“Us farmworkers, we are not disposable workers, we are people that deserve respect and we deserve a dignified life,” said Alicia Soriano, a tobacco farmworker, in Spanish. “We provide food to your tables and we ask the governor to take action for all of us.”

A poultry plant worker from a Burke County facility in Morganton said that she wasn’t allowed time off from work when she felt sick until she tested positive for COVID-19. 

“It makes me angry because we’re the ones who get sick, and the [companies] don’t,” said Evelin, who declined to give her last name out of fear of losing employment.

“We ask [state labor officials] to put regulations into place not only in the poultry plants but for all the workers who are out there,” she said.

PETITION TO THE STATE LABOR DEPARTMENT

The event comes a week before the state Department of Labor has to legally respond to a petition from advocacy groups that are part of the NCFAN coalition.

The Petition for Rule Making that was filed in October is a formal document that lays out demands for sweeping mandatory coronavirus protections for agricultural workers. State labor officials are given a month to respond under state law, Clermont Ripley, an N.C. Justice Center attorney, told The N&O.

The petition notes that the Department of Labor closed nearly 1,000 workplace health and safety complaints related to COVID-19 and only responded to six cases with investigations since September, according to COVID-19 data published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Labor officials can choose to respond to the petition or reject it and advocacy groups may choose to either take the case to court or wait to petition the incoming labor commissioner after the official 2020 election results are in.

Filed Under: In the Media

Farmworkers, Poultry Processing Workers, and Community Members Remember Lives Lost from COVID-19 and Call on NC Dept. of Labor to Take Action

November 2, 2020 by Angelica Santibanez

Raleigh, NC- Thursday, November 05, 2020– Workers and members of the Farmworker Advocacy Network (FAN) will gather at Bicentennial Plaza in Raleigh, NC to commemorate the lives of farmworkers and poultry and meat processing workers who have died from COVID-19. An altar will be assembled and community members will be invited to lay down an item to honor those who have perished. There will also be large Day of the Dead puppets.

The event will also feature farmworkers and poultry workers speaking about their experiences on the job and about the health and safety risks they have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers will call on the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) to accept a recent rule-making petition that would protect workers during the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. The rule-making petition calls on NCDOL to put an end to dangerous conditions, saying that the current voluntary guidance for workplaces is insufficient in protecting workers who are on the frontlines of the pandemic.

This event and the submission of the rule-making petition to NCDOL comes at a crucial time for farmworkers and meat and poultry processing workers. Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 71,000 farm, food-processing, and meatpacking workers have fallen ill with COVID-19 – more than 5,000 in North Carolina alone. Due to lack of transparency regarding the number of cases the exact number is unknown. NCDOL has received roughly 1,000 complaints from workers who report their employers are not taking adequate precautions to protect them from COVID-19. In all but a handful of instances, NCDOL has closed these cases and done nothing more than send the employer a letter outlining best practices and offering guidance. Experts now warn that COVID-19 cases in meatpacking plants may rise again this winter. Farmworkers will continue to work in Western North Carolina until the end of this year, more will arrive in the Spring of 2021. Seasonal workers live in North Carolina year-round with their families. Now is a critical time to protect workers and public health.

“Lack of action from the government has resulted in thousands of Latinx workers testing positive for the virus. Many have died. Employers could provide basic protections for their workers, but many choose not to do so. Our lives are not disposable. There should be consequences for those who ignore our safety and the wellbeing of our families. We call on NCDOL to take action,” said “Alicia Soriano”,  a farmworker and community leader with the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry. 

“Too many workers in North Carolina’s food system have died from COVID-19. These deaths could have been prevented if the NCDOL would have done more to hold companies accountable for their lack of  protection of workers against exposure to COVID-19. The NCDOL has an opportunity to adapt an emergency rule that will ensure workers receive the protections they deserve,” said Bacilio Castro, an organizer with the Western NC Workers’ Center. 

What: Call to action and remembrance of farmworkers and meatpacking workers

When: 5:30 – 6:30pm on Thursday, Nov. 5th, 2020

Where: Bicentennial Plaza, Raleigh, NCSpeakers: Representatives from Western NC Worker’s Center, Eposical Farmworker Ministry, and workers from the farm and poultry worker community, The Rev. Daniel Dario Robayo Hidalgo, Missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministries at the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, and a health outreach worker.

Filed Under: Press Release

124 Groups Urge North Carolina Government Officials to Issue Immediate COVID-19 Protections for Essential Food Workers

September 25, 2020 by Angelica Santibanez

RALEIGH, N.C. — More than 120 labor, farm, environmental, faith and civil rights groups representing millions of people in North Carolina and across the country sent a letter (here in Spanish) today to Governor Roy Cooper, Secretary Cohen, Commissioner Berry, and Commissioner Troxler calling for immediate, comprehensive COVID-19 protections for essential workers in the food supply chain.

More than 3,000 North Carolina workers in meatpacking plants alone have contracted COVID-19, and hundreds of complaints to state health officials have gone unanswered. Despite initially promising a group of Latinx worker advocates that he would issue an executive order protecting workers, Governor Cooper has failed to take action to address this dire situation.

“Workers in North Carolina’s food supply chain face health risks every day this crisis continues, but they show up to do their jobs anyway,” said Edna Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA, one of the organizations delivering the letter. “Workers are essential members of our community. They are our family, friends, and neighbors. Governor Cooper needs to do his job and keep his promise to issue an executive order to protect these workers.”

The open letter calls on the state to adopt an emergency standard to protect workers by enforcing requirements for fundamental safety measures such as physical distancing, improved ventilation, personal protective equipment, COVID-19 screening and transparent reporting about cases of COVID-19.

“Because of the fear, we all got sick and we didn’t know what to do. We were scared to speak up because if it was the virus, they would send us back to Mexico,” says a fieldworker from eastern NC who has requested to remain anonymous out of fear for retaliation. “And the truth is that many of us had symptoms, but we didn’t do anything. They didn’t give us masks or any protection on the job … they never tested us. We felt forgotten.”

“Learning about other workers falling ill or even dying around them but not receiving information, care, or benefits can be deadly for workers. The financial pressures they face arriving in the US in debt and the constant fear of retaliation by their employer for causing upheaval may result in their silence despite being sick,” said Lariza Garzon, Executive Director of the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry, “To merely offer guidance during this crisis, as opposed to issuing actual, enforceable base-level requirements, is to ignore the inherent imbalance of power endemic to industries with workers most at risk. We need action now.”

“In times of crisis, we need leaders and leadership requires a moral compass, which means that we actually have to care for our fellow human beings,” said Rev. Fred Clarkson, the Spanish Language Ministry Coordinator of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina. “Secondly, we also need clarity — there is no dichotomy between the economy and people’s lives. Dead people don’t support economies, living people do. Also, there isn’t a segmentation. If certain people get sick, eventually we will all get sick.”

A family member of North Carolina poultry processing workers says, “My mother was infected at this plant because it didn’t have the necessary precautions. There was no protection, they didn’t require masks, and everyone worked shoulder-to-shoulder … then, when my mother returned to work, everything was the same. They said that they had implemented security measures, and sure, they were checking people’s temperatures when they entered, but everything inside was the same. Everyone was working shoulder- to-shoulder.”

Anna Jensen, Coordinator of the Farmworker Advocacy Network, states, “Since the beginning of this deadly pandemic, North Carolina has prioritized corporate profits and industry relationships over the health of our food workers, their families, and our communities. This must end today. We’re calling on state leaders to take immediate action to protect workers who put their lives on the line while sustaining North Carolina’s largest industries and our food supply.”

Filed Under: Press Release

After pushback from officials, Cooper halts executive order to protect agricultural workers

September 10, 2020 · Raleigh News & Observer

Weeks after a public commitment to issue a new executive order with sweeping labor protections for vulnerable agricultural workers in the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said they couldn’t follow through, citing pushback from state officials.

The decision was communicated to the N.C. Farmworker Advocacy Network, a coalition of organizations, which has demanded worker safety measures since the start of the pandemic and had been in conversation with state health officials and the governor’s office. It was first reported by Spanish language outlets Enlace Latino NC and Qué Pasa.

“We are told the governor has rescinded his commitment, largely based on pushback from the Department or Labor and (the Department of) Agriculture, which has claimed it is not interested in enforcing these kinds of safety regulations,” said a news release from the coalition. “…The Department of Health and Human Services (said) that such an order would impede progress made between the agencies and companies to ensure cooperation.”

NCFAN denounced these reasons as not being “true or valid,” while Cooper’s office told The News & Observer in an email that disagreement with stakeholders kept the governor from issuing the order.

“Protecting agriculture and meat processing workers is a high priority,” said Dory MacMillan, a spokesperson. “While the governor and public health officials have had success on increasing some safety protocols and outbreak reporting, there remains significant disagreement among growers, state labor officials and workers about overall solutions.”

“These entities must cooperate to protect our workers and their families,” MacMillan said. “The governor and his administration are pushing growers and companies to protect workers and they are still working on the most effective solutions make sure that happens.”

As the coronavirus pandemic dealt a blow to the largely Latino immigrant agricultural workforce in North Carolina’s fields and meat processing plants, organizations sounded alarms for months and urged the state to respond, culminating in a virtual August town hall where the executive order was discussed.

Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein promised cooperation on these concerns and others ahead of November elections. Hundreds of people from Latino and immigrant labor rights organizations attended the town hall.

Filed Under: In the Media

Harvest of Shame: Farmworkers Face Coronavirus Disaster

September 8, 2020 · Politico

“We saw this coming and we were speaking out about it. We did a press conference in April about how this was going to affect farmworkers and meat processing workers,” said Joanna Welborn, communication arts director for Student Action with Farmworkers. “We have always known that the conditions they live and work in are just ripe for potential abuse.”

According to Welborn, members of the Farmworker Advocacy Network have been meeting with Cooper’s staff members biweekly and the governor promised to issue an executive order giving farmworkers access to health care and protections against retaliation. But after three weeks of planning, the governor changed his mind and no order will be issued.

The protections are needed because one of the biggest obstacles to getting farmworkers in North Carolina screened is their concern about their undocumented status, said Benjamin William, a staff attorney for NC Legal Aid who works with H-2A workers.

Filed Under: In the Media

Tell Governor Cooper to take action to protect agricultural workers during COVID-19

June 17, 2020 by Angelica Santibanez

North Carolina’s field and food processing workers face many barriers to accessing essential services, especially during times of emergency. Agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable in times like these because of isolation, language barriers, lack of transportation, and lack of connection to services in the community.

The NC Farmworker Advocacy Network (ncfan.org) asks you to join us in urging Governor Cooper to take critical action in support of one of our state’s most vulnerable and essential workforces – agricultural workers, so that these workers can be safe and continue to provide the necessary food and agricultural products on which our communities and state economy depends.

  • Provide migrant farmworkers with access to healthcare services and other resources.
  • Ensure migrant agricultural workers are not put at risk in their employer-provided housing.
  • Ensure agricultural workers are able to protect themselves from exposure while working.
  • Protect workers who get sick from retaliation. 
  • Ensure H-2A farmworkers are able to enroll in the ACA, ensure Spanish interpretation for health information, and provide adequate PPE for healthcare workers serving agricultural workers. 

The agricultural community is one that is often overlooked and excluded from protections, so making sure their needs are considered in our state’s emergency planning is critical. By listing your organization, you agree to have your organization identified on this petition that we will share with Governor Cooper. You can also sign as an individual. If you would like to read the full letter to Governor Cooper, click here.


Signatures

NeenuAbraham
MartyAden
VeronicaAguilar
SusanAlan
MarinaAleman
ElizabethAlley
DaisyAlmonte
FilogoniaAltamirano
GladisAlvarado
DavidAmbaras
SharonAmbrose
LinseyAmundson
JoyAnderson Gallion
DerekAnderson
ShelAnderson
DemarcusAndrews
ElinorAngel
MeghanAntol
DonaldArabian
ElizabethArant
EvelynArcher
ThomasArcury
RubyArellano
NicoleArguedas Villalobos
JoanArnold
TaylorArnold
GregArrington
CobyAustin
William DavidAustin
RachelBaker
KarenBarfield
SergioBarojas
AndresBarrera
MaryBass
MarianBeane
JennieBelle
RoxanaBendezu
DelfinoBenitez
EvanBenz
JONELLEBERKY MARABLE
NadeenBir
melissablack
AnaBlackburn
ShawnBlackwelder
DanielaBlanco
DavidBland
AnneBleyman
HalenaBohs
KatrinaBond
EmiliaBoyette
ScottBradley
TeresaBratton
JohanaBravo
macarenabravo
LauraBray
AmberBreckenridge
koehlerbriceno
FrankBricio
KatieBricio
CarolBrooke
FionaBrown
TaureanBrown
IsaiahBryant
KerryBullock-Ozkan
MatthewBurawski
CandaceBurch
BridgetteBurge
HananBurka
RebeccaBurmester
JeremyBurnison
JessicaBurroughs
EmmaBurton
YanneliBustos
YeseniaBustos
YessieBustos
LeslieButterfield
TiaByers
LindseyCable
BarbaraCain
BryanCambra
GillCampbell
PaulCanady
VictorCanales
JenniferCardenas
MaryCarloss
DonnaCarlton
MortonCarpenter
MaryCarroll
DebberaCarson
AnneCassebaum
AnaCastillo
JaredCates
EmmaCathell
PhilipChagnon
LindaChamiec-case
ChadChandler
AlexChao
jeanchapman
AlexandraChassanoff
LenndaChen
PaigeChristie
NatalieClark
EleanorCollins
LeckieConners
LuciaConstantine
JenniferCopeland
EmiliaCordero
RachelCotterman
AnthonyCottle
JimmyCreech
McKennaCrockett
VictoriaCrouse
LizetteCruz Watko
YeseniaCuello
RileyCullen
JorjaCummings
Rabbi RobinDamsky
TerryDavid
AllisonDavidson
J. MarkDavidson
Rev. CharlesDavidson
Laura MarieDavis
MarkieDavis
RobynDayton
MichaelDeMilia
PaulaDempsey
SheilaDenn
JesseniaDiaz
KatherineDÌ_az
JennaDick
JosephDipierro
SandraDoliner
CareyDowney
IlanaDubester
AngelineEcheverria
stevenedelstein
SeanEdevane
OliviaEdwards
RobertEdwards
ObinnaEjimofor
BlairEngelken
LavonneEngelman
GerardoEsquivel
IrmaEsquivel
IrmaEsquivel
SherryEssig
RachelEvancavich
AdamFarag
linfarley
BaileyFarrin
EllieFarrin
DeborahFerruccio
AnaFigueroa
CatFlynn
SForbis
AngieForde
AnnFoster
LaurieFox
MarianFragola
PatriciaFreeman
KarlaFrias
KateFurgurson
marvinfurman
SamanthaGalindo
RonGarcia-Fogarty
AmoritaGarcia
RubyGarcia
YazminGarcia
GeorgeannaGardner
MaryGarrison
EdwardGarza
ConnieGates
MarthaGeer
QuandoGerst
HannahGill
TizGiordano
AnnaGiuli
rickglazier
FrankGlossl
WilliamGoldston
JackelineGomez
MariaGomez
PhoebeGooding
LourdesGouveia
KaitlinGrable
KaitlinGrable
BrookeGraham
RachelGray
JamesGreen
The Rev. JodyGreenwood
MeganGregory
ChrissyGriesmer
AlexandraGriffin
KateGuthrie
CristianGutierrez
KatieHaberman
SyedahHaider
KathleenHannan
JaneHare
KendallHarkey
SaraHarrington
LeoraHarris
CatherineHart
LauraHart
MarthaHartley
ErinHazlett-Norman
VirginiaHebert
JolieHerman
ClaireHermann
IreneHernandez
MariaHernandez
MarthaHernandez
KarenHerpel
ElizabethHerrera
MaribelHerrera
MargaretHickman
NANCYHILLMER
DanHockstein
AnneHodges-Copple
WesleyHogan
KatherineHoke
TaylorHolenbeck
RobertHollister
KathyHuffstetler
SamHummel
NatalieHyatt
KarinaIbarra
SelenaIbarra
SandyIrving
KiraJackson
TiaJackson
MerleneJai
AlricJames Jr
AllysonJames
AnnaJefferson
HarrelJohnson
MarleneJohnson
Mary JoJohnson
RoxanneJohnson
WendyJohnson
CathyJones
ElaineJones
JaCairahJones
PhilipJorgensen
PhilipJorgensen
NancyJose
DeliaJovel
AmericaJuarez-Maldonado
BethannJumper
EmilyKader
MaryKambic
SaraKane
KathyKaufman
IreneKennedy
JillianKern
LoriKhamala
CaroleKimmel
SherryKinlaw
MeredithKite
KathyKlein
LoraKlein
JudithKlinck
PeteKnepper
robinkohanowich
terrykrauss
JustinKretzschmar
MargaretKrome-Lukens
HerbLamb
JenniferLangton
LukeLargess
MonicaLavery
SamLee Jr
BryanLee
ColeLee
JosephLee
DanielLewis
JamesLeyden
JackelineLeyva
MariaLopez Gonzalez
HectorLopez
JacquelineLopez
MariaLopez
SelinaLopez
MichelleLozano Villegas
Jean MarieLuce
AnthonyMacias
JenniferMackenzie
AndreinaMalki
JohnMann
ShawnManning
ShellyMaras
AmyMarion
MarianneMartinez
OMartÌ_nez
XarisMartinez
XarisMartinez
MonikaMason
KristieMather
NinaMathis
MariaMayorga
CarleyMcCready
MarkMcDonough
JenniferMcGovern
JohnMcHenry
ElizabethMcIntyre
SarahMcIntyre
Lester & PattyMcKeel
RÌ_isÌ_nMcKeithan
TimMcKeithan
CarleenMckenna
fedelmamckenna
AnneMcLaughlin
ElizabethMcMahon
HannahMcQueen
GilbertMedina
CarmelaMeehan
MarbelyMejia
EliuMendez
LibradoMendoza Sosa
AndreaMendoza
BetteMeyer
GeraldMeyer
PaulinaMillan
MadelineMiller
Mary BethMiller
AMines
MargaretMisch
KelseyMischke
EmilyMoore
LisaMoore
DanaMora
BeckieMoriello
ShaunaMorin
RominaMuni
JuanaMunoz
EstherMurphy
KevinMurphy
ElenaNail
ElaineNell
KarinaNeyra
SarahNiegelsky
RyanNilsen
MelissaNishikawa
KatherineNunez
JohnO’Neal
SofiaOcegueda
BiancaOlivares
YvetteOrtiz
YuridiaOtero
AlfredoOviedo
SarahPacker
MaryPage
MariaPanuco
DelencyParham
ColeParke
JohnParker
RachelParnell
AnnePass
AstonPatrick
DavidPerez
aliceperkins
JasonPhebus
AdamPierce
JuliePittman
TerrencePittman
AlicePollard
LeylaPonterio
AndresPorras Chaves
PaigePrather
BrittanyPrice
E.Primm
DavidPuryear
MaruQuintero
NarayanRai
AndressiaRamirez
ArianaRamirez
RobbimRandolph
BenjaminRappaport
LeaRay
RuthRay
VictoriaReam
DanRearick
AmberReavis
courtneyreid-eaton
GenevaReid
PhillipReid
EmilyRhyne
JohnRich
MargaretRichardson
LisaRichey
MonnieRiggin
SergioRios
ClermontRipley
CristinaRivera Chapman
CrisRivera
FrancesRivera
DanielRobayo
AshleyRobbins
ClaireRobinson
MayraRobles
CaylaRodney
AlyssaRodriguez-Finch
IdaniaRodriguez
JessicaRodriguez
JorgeRodriguez
SandraRodriguez
TaraRomano
OfeliaRomero
NancyRosebaugh
TheresaRosenberg
ReidRussom
CaitlinRyland
KathrynSabbeth
JenniferSalazar Sanchez
MandySalinas
GladysSanchez
JoannaSanchez
JoelSanchez
EstefaneSantiago-LÌ_pez
MiriamSaxon
FranSchindler
LloydSchmeidler
JULIESCHNEYER
RachelScrudato
JenniferSegnere
MarthaShafer
JanvikaShah
MargaretShelton
GloriaShen
SoominShin
RebeccaShisler
SylviaShoemaker
SharonShohfi
RebeccaShowalter
MarceeSilver
LilaSinger
DanyelleSmith
DeidraSmith
karensmith
Rev. SarahSmith
SethSmith
AaronSmithers
ArtSmoker
AndrewSmolski
KeniaSolano
ginnasolorzano
KarenSoriano
AdaSoutherland
KristinSpell
EmilySprague
JenniferStandish
PATRICKSTAWSKI
CelisaSteele
BarbaraStenross
PhilipStine
PaulaStober
JessicaStokes
RhyanStone
ThemisStone
CaseyStrange
ChristopherSuggs
JessicaSuncin-Acevedo
AdamSvolto
JenniferSwaringen
SarahSydney
HopeTaylor
IveyTaylor
JulieTaylor
MichaelTaylor
PennyTennian
CarolTerwilliger
AdiamTesfaselassie
JustinThibodeaux
RhondaThomas
MarnieThompson
lanathrelkeld
LuisToledo
FabiolaTorres-Lara
ClarissaTorres
GenesisTorres
BearTose
KyleTremblay
MaryTrumps
ChristineTurnbull
EmilyTurner
ElizabethUpchurch
NathalieUriarte-Ayala
DianaUrieta
DanielValdez
LauraValdez
QuirinaVallejos
KatieVan Houten
JoshVan Kampen
DelaneyVandergrift
KateVanVorst
DeniseVarela
DeniseVarela
RobertoVarela
susanvebber
AngelicaVelis
EileenVella
LiorVered
BrittanyVesey
Rector andVestry
GiannaVincent
JossaViveros
CherylWaechter
CheyenneWagi
DWagner
DarylWalker
KateWalker
LaurenWalker
JonathanWall
LynneWalter, MSW
AbiWarmack
DonaldWashington
JasmineWashington
ElizabethWaters
ChristopherWatson
CarrollWebber
SpencerWeig
DeborahWeissman
JoannaWelborn
MorganWelch
LynnWeller
AnneWells
John RichardWeston
Leona Whichard 
AlixWicker
BrooksWicker
MelindaWiggins
MaryWilder
LizWildermann
AudreyWilliams
DamonWilliams
GregoryWilliams
SonjaWilliams
SonjaWilliams
SusanWilliams
ClaireWilliamson
ArcadeWillis
RobertWillis
JulieWilson
DougWingeier
LivWoodford
StephanieYancy
BlairYates
PeterYodzis
AmyYoon
JuliaYoung
KathyZaumseil
LETICIAZAVALA
YolandaZavala
IrvingZavaleta
RamonZepeda
CerinaZiemke

Filed Under: Press Release

A Letter to Gov. Cooper

June 16, 2020 by Angelica Santibanez

Dear Governor Cooper and Secretary Cohen,

Thank you for your letter responding to the Farmworker Advocacy Network’s (FAN) March 31, 2020 letter asking the state to take urgent action to protect agricultural workers in North Carolina from COVID-19. We are disappointed with the response and that you did not meet with us to discuss our concerns.  During the two months between when we sent our letter and you responded, thousands of farmworkers arrived in North Carolina and outbreaks started happening at migrant labor camps. 

In our letter we acknowledged that NC DHHS has published helpful guidance for migrant housing providers and agricultural employers but expressed our concern that this unenforceable guidance was not sufficient to protect our state’s agricultural workforce.  It is frustrating, therefore, that your response to us simply directed our attention back to this guidance.  

Agricultural workers experience high levels of wage theft and other workplace violations even when there are legal requirements in place. Migrant farmworkers are one of the most marginalized and isolated groups of essential workers in the state, predominantly people of color and non-English speaking immigrants. They cannot count on their employers and housing providers to voluntarily comply with guidance to take the necessary steps to protect their health during this pandemic and they lack the power to insist such guidance is followed themselves.

There are additional concerns that FAN members have witnessed over the last few months that we think it is important for your offices to understand.

Barriers to testing and follow-up care

  • Some employers are refusing to provide transportation for workers to get tested and/or get medical care. Outreach workers are not equipped to transport symptomatic workers to get tested and/or medical care. They have not been able to get medical providers to go to migrant labor camps to do large-scale testing.  Some camps have more than 80 people living in them and it makes more sense to bring the testing to them.
  • Some hospitals / health departments are refusing to test farmworkers, even when they are identified as being on the NC DHHS priority list due to their congregate living settings. Some workers have had to travel to other counties in order to get tested. Workers have been turned away from hospitals when seeking testing after 5:00 p.m. when most community clinics in rural farmworker areas are closed.
  • Some hospitals / health departments are not asking patients about the type of work they do or their housing, which means they are most likely not following relevant reporting protocols or guidance and thus leading to an undercount of infected farmworkers.
  • Some hospitals / health departments are refusing to test multiple people in one household if one person is COVID-positive, which means that household members who are presumed positive but work in different locations may not trigger needed isolation or quarantine measures.
  • Tests can cost as much as $350, which is unaffordable to farmworkers.
  • There is a lack of interpretation available both when seeking diagnosis and in follow-up.

Worker fear and confusion

  • Many H-2A workers do not want to report their symptoms or get tested because they are afraid that if it comes back positive it will cause trouble for their employer by triggering a  requirement for a large portion of the labor camp to be isolated and because they fear they will be singled out and face retaliation.  Some workers report considering abandoning their own employment rather than be the worker responsible for creating upheaval and risking their family members’ and co-workers’ jobs with the same employer.
  • Workers are reporting that, even if they have symptoms, they hide them and work anyway because they cannot afford to miss a day’s worth of income. Employers are not paying sick leave when needed. The language the workers hear from their employers about the pandemic is threatening rather than reassuring.  The message is that if someone in the labor camp gets sick, everyone is going to lose work and income. Employers, of their own volition, are not addressing any worker misinformation or fear. We are not aware of any agricultural employer group or association that has published a public statement in Spanish reassuring workers that they are eligible for paid COVID-19 leave, and will not face reprisal in North Carolina for reporting symptoms, seeking care, or following a doctor’s orders related to COVID-19 to combat these dangerous fears and messaging.
  • Some workers have a false sense of security about being safe from coronavirus because they have not heard of many farmworkers getting sick. While other workers report hearing rumors about workers who got sick, sought care, and were never seen again – leading to more insecurities and fear. The lack of public data available regarding farmworkers and COVID-19 at labor camps and their agricultural work sites reinforces these dangerous narratives. There are so many small agricultural employers, growers and farm labor contractors, that are breaking rules and need more oversight. Many workers report that they are not being provided any sort of PPE and are unable to physically distance while working and traveling between their work sites and their homes.

Recommendations

We continue to encourage the Governor to address the concerns and implement the recommendations from our March 31 letter. Below are additional recommendations based on what we have witnessed over the last two months. 

  1. Issue an Executive Order, as has been done by governors of other states including Wisconsin and Michigan, to make compliance with public health guidelines such as those developed by NC DHHS mandatory and enforceable. North Carolina has the 6th largest farmworker population in the nation, yet we have not taken measures to protect this significant workforce. Farmworkers, agricultural employers and migrant housing providers need to have requirements instead of guidelines in order to motivate them to comply with NC DHHS, OSHA and CDC guidance. Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 131 established required policies for retail establishments.  Agricultural workers need at least as much protection as retail workers. 
  1. It is urgent that more accurate and transparent information about the number of COVID-19 positive cases associated with migrant farmworker housing and agricultural worksites is collected and shared.  Based on reports from FAN members, we believe that there are outbreaks at more than 30 farms in 25 counties, including at a migrant labor camp that has capacity to house close to 500 workers.  For the reasons mentioned above about lack of access to testing and reluctance to get tested, we believe the number of camps and worksite with unconfirmed COVID-19 cases is much higher. The current reporting on the NC DHHS COVID dashboard is not adequate both because it is simply reporting on a point in time, but also because by limiting the reporting only to migrant labor camps with more than 10 people and to cases that originated in the labor camps, it is not broad enough to demonstrate the real magnitude of the problem. As a result, stories about farmworkers actually getting tested, seeking care and benefits, surviving quarantine and returning to work, and not getting fired are not normalized.  Additionally, without this information, health care providers and advocates cannot safely assist workers to overcome misinformation and barriers to care and testing in their service areas.  The congregate living data should include reporting specific to migrant housing and NC DHHS should be reporting more broadly about total agricultural worksites affected and worker cases beyond the congregate living data.
  1. Testing needs to be free and more widely available, ideally at labor camps or other locations that are more accessible than health clinics and hospitals. Testing and follow-up care need to be culturally competent with Spanish interpretation available and more evening hours. More regular testing and better communication from NCDHHS about what testing means would normalize it and make farmworkers more comfortable with it.  Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 143, “Addressing the Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color” provides for more access to testing, but it makes no mention of agricultural workers. Agricultural workers and the particular occupational hazards they encounter certainly need to be included in the work that happens as a result of the EO.  We would like the opportunity to recommend someone for the newly created Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental, and Health Equity Taskforce who is from a farmworker community or someone who can provide meaningful input based on their direct knowledge about the unique experience of farmworkers. We have heard reports within the last few days of Latinx workers still being turned away from hospitals when requesting testing.
  1. Where employers are not following guidance issued by NC DHHS and outbreaks are occurring, we encourage Secretary Cohen to use her enforcement authority under N.C. Gen. Stat. §130A-17 through 130A-20 to protect employees from dangerous workplaces.
  1. Finally, although it is not directly related to the pandemic, we cannot underscore enough the need for the state to be planning and preparing now for how it will handle evacuation and sheltering of farmworkers, especially farmworkers in isolation or quarantine, in case it is necessitated by a natural disaster this hurricane season. Hurricane shelters and evacuation routes can easily become hotspots for COVID-19 outbreaks. A COVID-informed emergency plan is desperately needed.

We also note that we have not yet received a response to our May 8 letter about the magnifying crisis within meat and poultry processing plants. Many of the recommendations in this letter apply equally to that industry, such as the urgent need for mandatory requirements and the benefit of better reporting. 

We again request to meet with you and request that we receive a timely response that is responsive and appropriate to our concerns and the gravity of the situation. Please contact Anna Jensen, FAN Coalition Coordinator, at 919-915-9990 or annaj@ncfwp.org and/or Clermont Ripley, coordinator of FAN’s Advocacy team, at 919-856-2154 or clermont@ncjustice.org, to discuss how we can carry this important work forward and ensure that farmworkers are not needlessly put in harm’s way.

Sincerely, 
The North Carolina Farmworker Advocacy Network

Filed Under: Press Release

Groups seek more protection for workers as COVID-19 cases at N.C. meat-packing plants rise

May 9, 2020 · By Tribune News Service · Greensboro News & Record

RALEIGH — Advocates for farm and meat-processing plant workers called on North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday to require additional COVID-19 virus protections for plant employees.

The N.C. Farmworker Advocacy Network, N.C. AFL-CIO and other groups want at least two weeks of paid sick leave for workers who have tested positive for the virus or are in quarantine; staggered bathroom and lunch breaks to lower the risk of contamination; and time-and-a-half pay for taking on increased risks.

At a video news conference Friday, they also asked that workers be part of the ongoing conversation about plant safety, including being told when someone tests positive.

Filed Under: In the Media

State leaders need to protect meat and poultry processing and other essential workers

May 8, 2020 by Angelica Santibanez

RALEIGH (May 8, 2020) – Workers, advocates, and policy experts called on state officials this morning to contain the spread of COVID-19 in poultry and meat processing facilities and take some simple but urgent measures to keep them, their families, and their broader communities safe. 

COVID-19 cases continue to rise in essential industries throughout the state such as meat and poultry processing, putting millions of workers – especially workers of color – at risk. Forced to work shoulder-to-shoulder without access to adequate, or in some cases, any protective gear, workers across dozens of essential worksites are contracting and dying from COVID-19.

Sofia and Gregoria, who both worked at Case Farms in Morganton, described being given a single, thin mask to use for months at a time. “We have to pay for food, we have to pay for rent, and so we can’t miss work,” Sofia said. 

Gregoria ended up leaving the plant in early April. “I left because I was really fearful, panicked knowing there were people that were infected and the plant didn’t want to say anything. They have families, they have children,” she said. “Where is the social distancing for the workers? Where is the safety and security?”

Most workers do not have paid sick time or adequate healthcare, most do not have health insurance, and after years earning low wages, they have little reserves to enable them to leave steady employment. 

“Meatpacking and poultry workers are at the frontlines of this pandemic – these workers are putting their lives on the line every day,” said Andre Barnett with UFCW 1208, the nation’s largest food processing union, which represents workers at Smithfield Foods in Tar Heel. “More than ever, companies must be held accountable. It’s not about politics but about the safety of workers.” 

“Safety has to come first at the workplace. Since COVID-19, we don’t feel safe,” said Ella Ellerbe, a worker at Smithfield. “Keep me out of there until they guarantee they’re going to test people, keep us 6 feet apart, give us PPE, and protect us.”

There have been more than 800 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at plants across the state. In the past few weeks, there have been outbreaks at both poultry and pork processing plants, such as Smithfield, where workers in Tar Heel and Clinton have reported unsanitary conditions and a rising number of COVID-19 cases, yet they have no paid sick days. 

“This is an industry whose profits are billions of dollars,” said Hunter Ogletree with the Western North Carolina Workers’ Center, regarding the poultry and meat industry. “We are not asking them to stop providing food for our country, we are asking them to take simple but urgent measures. This is not a binary choice. They have the ability to both provide production and food for our country and protect their workers.”

Meanwhile, those who are being forced to miss work need financial support and are being left out of recent federal bills. Instead of responding to the crisis in meat and poultry processing by requiring essential industries to adopt these guidelines as mandatory, the Trump administration used the National Defense Production Act to make it easier for meat and poultry processors to avoid protecting their workers from the coronavirus, even if conditions are unsafe and unsanitary and contribute to the spread of COVID-19. 

“As part of America’s industrial food chain, these companies will do everything they can to keep the lines running, no matter the cost to workers,” said Angela Stuesse, an Associate Professor at UNC-Chapel Hill. “As long as this industry is permitted, they’ll put profit over people. Many knew about outbreaks for weeks before telling their employees. This industry will not regulate itself.”

In a new letter, advocacy groups are asking leaders to take steps to protect those who have been working throughout the pandemic, and enact rules requiring meatpacking and other essential employers to follow guidance on workplace safety and protect their employees from COVID-19. 

“North Carolina’s leaders, as well as the poultry and meat processing industry, have a moral obligation during this time of crisis not only to its workers but also to the public health of all communities in NC,” the letter reads.

If state officials fail to adopt these measures, efforts to re-open the economy will trigger a second and likely third wave of infections before the year is done — just another reminder that the economy is made up of people, and sick people can’t help employers stay afloat.

“We can’t risk workers’ lives for burgers, bacon, and blue jeans,” said MaryBe McMillan, President of the NC State AFL-CIO. “If we want to stop future waves, our Department of Labor and other elected officials must step up and protect the health of workers and our communities.”A recording of this morning’s press event is available upon request. Email julia@ncjustice.org.


FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Allan Freyer, allan@ncjustice.org; Clermont Ripley, clermont@ncjustice.org; Julia Hawes, julia@ncjustice.org

Filed Under: Press Release

Advocates for migrant farm workers urge state and federal agencies to protect workers from COVID-19

May 4, 2020 · By John Hinton · Winston-Salem Journal

Advocates for migrant farmworkers in North Carolina are urging state and federal agencies to protect those workers amid the new coronavirus pandemic.

The Rudd Strawberry Farm in Guilford County has temporarily closed after eight of its workers tested positive for COVID-19, state health officials said earlier this week. The spread of the virus was related to the on-site housing for its farmworkers.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has listed the farm as Guilford County’s fourth “congregate living facility” with an ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, according to the agency’s website.

The first positive case of the coronavirus in a seasonal agricultural worker was confirmed earlier this month by a health clinic in Harnett County, according to a news report.

The clinic, CommWell Health in Dunn, didn’t identify the worker, citing federal medical-privacy laws. The worker, who lives in North Carolina, was quarantined during his or her illness, the clinic said.

A farmer in Forsyth County said he has taken measures to protect his workers from the virus.

The Farmworker Advocacy Network sent a letter on March 31 to Gov. Roy Cooper, urging him to enact five of its recommendations to protect the farmworkers who provide food and agricultural products that state residents and North Carolina’s economy need.

Filed Under: In the Media

COVID-19 Sweeping Through Ranks of US Immigrant Farmworkers and Meatpackers

April 26, 2020 · By Danica Jorden · Common Dreams

On April 7, Tyson Foods announced it was closing an Iowa pork processing plant due to at least 25 of its employees falling victim to novel coronavirus COVID-19. A week earlier, multinational meatpacker JBS cut back production at its meatpacking facility in Pennsylvania for the same reason, joining Empire Kosher and Olymel, who have closed chicken and pig facilities respectively because too many workers have become sick.

Smithfield Foods closed down a pork processing plant in South Dakota this week, and announced Covid-19 has been diagnosed at its North Carolina facility in the town of Tarheel in Bladen County. The county cited privacy issues in its decision not to reveal how many persons have been affected. One employee decided the risk was too great for her to bring the virus home to her asthmatic child. “We are directly on top of each other coming down the line,” she said, under condition of anonymity, to a local ABC television affiliate.

On Tuesday, April 21, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper confirmed that five food processing plants in the state, located in Bladen, Chatham, Duplin, Lee and Robeson counties, have been stricken with coronavirus outbreaks. Workers at chicken processors Mountaire Farms in Siler City and Pilgrim’s Pride in Sanford have been complaining for over a week about the contagion, lack of worker protections and workplace pressures such as threatened termination if they call out sick. Many Latinx employees work for subcontractors at the chicken processing plants, at lower rates of pay and with no paid leave.

The Farmworker Advocacy Network (FAN) and the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry (EFWM) in Dunn, North Carolina gathered agricultural workers and advocates virtually via Zoom to give voice to the workers and broadcast the extent of the problem.

Filed Under: In the Media

Dear governor: Farmworkers need your help

April 24, 2020 · By Eliot Duke · The Daily Record

An advocacy group sent Gov. Roy Cooper a letter last week highlighting the need to protect a vulnerable segment of the state’s population ­— farmworkers.

A coalition made up of members of the Farmworker Advocacy Network, their partner organizations, and other individuals penned the letter to Cooper in an effort to improve health and safety standards for farm and poultry workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group held an online press conference Tuesday night to address concerns that not enough is being done to protect non-immigrant workers despite them being deemed “essential.”

“We all agree that they are essential to our economy and to our lives, but they are not being provided with essential protections,” Clermont Fraser Ripley with the N.C. Justice Center said. “The work they do is dangerous and it’s low pay. There is already one confirmed case of COVID-19 in the state among farm workers and five poultry plants have confirmed cases so it is beyond time for these steps to be taken.”

Farmworkers often live in rural housing provided by their employers. The group cited circumstances where workers lacked access to proper hygiene, are unable to practice social-distancing and aren’t provided personal protective equipment. The letter to Cooper detailed steps the group feels need to be taken in order to protect the people who work in such an important industry.

“Farmworkers are not just essential workers; they are essential parts of our community,” said Dr. Lior Vered, a policy advocate at Toxic Free NC. “They provide us with nourishment, and they deserve essential rights and protections to ensure they are not put at risk as a result of their work. We urge Gov. Cooper to take action and protect the people that bring food to our tables. The agricultural community is one that is often overlooked and excluded from protections, so making sure their needs are considered in our state’s emergency planning is critical.”

Filed Under: In the Media

Organizations and individuals call on Gov. Cooper to protect agricultural workers from the COVID-19 pandemic

April 18, 2020 by Angelica Santibanez

Community members, agricultural workers, and advocates share their concerns about what happens when essential workers do not get essential protections.

Contact information:
Lior Vered
Toxic Free NC
909.919.6691
lior@toxicfreenc.org

DUNN, NC (April 18, 2020) – Members of the Farmworker Advocacy Network, their partner organizations, and other individuals are calling on Governor Cooper to take critical action in support of agricultural workers in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The first confirmed and suspected farmworker cases of COVID-19 have already appeared in NC, making it urgent that Governor Cooper acts quickly. The coalition will present testimony from workers; faith leaders, including Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina; and advocates in a Zoom press conference on Tuesday, April 21, at 6:00 pm.

Speakers will address concerns for the health and safety of agricultural workers amid the pandemic. North Carolina’s field and food processing workers face many barriers to accessing essential services, especially during times of emergency. Agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable during this pandemic because language barriers, a lack of transportation, and a lack of connection to services in the community leaves them isolated from resources. Because migrant agricultural workers live in group housing, usually travel to and from work in shared transportation like buses, and work closely next to each other in the fields, “social distancing” is not something they can choose to do, leaving them at constant risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

“Farmworkers are not just essential workers; they are essential parts of our community,” said Dr. Lior Vered, a policy advocate at Toxic Free NC. “They provide us with nourishment, and they deserve essential rights and protections to ensure they are not put at risk as a result of their work. We urge Gov. Cooper to take action and protect the people that bring food to our tables. The agricultural community is one that is often overlooked and excluded from protections, so making sure their needs are considered in our state’s emergency planning is critical.”

The Coalition is calling on Gov. Cooper to:

  • Provide migrant farmworkers with access to healthcare services and other resources
  • Ensure migrant agricultural workers are not put at risk in their employer-provided housing
  • Ensure agricultural workers are able to protect themselves from exposure while working
  • Protect workers who get sick from retaliation
  • Ensure H-2A farmworkers are able to enroll in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), ensure Spanish interpretation for health information, and provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers serving agricultural workers

Advocates are inviting the community to join their efforts by signing an online petition and making contributions to a farmworker organization of their choice.

The Farmworker Advocacy Network is a statewide network of organizations that works to improve the living and working conditions of farmworkers and poultry workers in North Carolina.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Julia Hawes, julia@ncjustice.org; Clermont Fraser Ripley,clermont@ncjustice.org.

Filed Under: Press Release

Advocates call for better protections for NC farmworkers amid coronavirus outbreak

April 18, 2020 · By Annette Weston · WCTI

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WCTI) – Members of the Farmworker Advocacy Network and others are calling on North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to take action in support of agricultural workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

They say the first confirmed and suspected farmworker cases of COVID-19 have already appeared in the state, making it urgent that the governor act quickly.

The coalition will present testimony from workers; faith leaders, including Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina; and advocates in a Zoom press conference on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

They’re expected to address concerns for the health and safety of agricultural workers amid the pandemic and say North Carolina’s field and food processing workers face many barriers to accessing essential services, especially during times of emergency.

Agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable during this pandemic, advocates say, because language barriers, a lack of transportation, and a lack of connection to services in the community leaves them isolated from resources. Because migrant agricultural workers live in group housing, usually travel to and from work in shared transportation like buses, and work closely next to each other in the fields, the group adds, “social distancing” is not something they can choose to do, leaving them at constant risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

Filed Under: In the Media

Farmworker Advocacy Network’s battle for dignity

January 29, 2014 · By Billy Ball · INDY Weekly

There is a bright orange mural that members of the Farmworker Advocacy Network carry around. It depicts field hands laboring at their grueling work. In the lower left corner, dark-skinned arms, chained at the wrist, reach upward.

Nadeen Bir-Zaslow, a member of the group that handles communications for the North Carolina activists, says, “We have a legacy in this country of people not being paid for their work or being treated as less than human. We’re still working on that.”

They have their work cut out for them. North Carolina is considered among the most unfriendly states for workers in the United States. Farm and poultry laborers might be the most unappreciated and vulnerable.

The Farmworker Advocacy Network, based in Durham, is a coalition of 19 groups, from Bir-Zaslow’s Student Action With Farmworkers (SAF) to Legal Aid of N.C., the N.C. Farmworkers’ Project, the N.C. Justice Center’s Immigrants Legal Assistance Project and many more.

“The reality is we don’t have enough resources,” says Melinda Wiggins, SAF’s executive director and a network member. “But when we work together, we can get more done. We can be more effective about strategizing.”

Filed Under: In the Media, Uncategorized

Copyright © 2023 · Farmworker Advocacy Network · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design