Meet Washington's farmworkers.
|
This video will put you face to face with dozens of Washington's more than 100,000 farmworkers. As you will hear they are harmed, hurt and angered by the opinions of three Washington Supreme Court justices and the decision by the five judges.
Their false statements about farmworkers, their pay, their safety, their dignity are unbelievable and inexcusable. Worse, Senator Rebecca Saldaña is basing decisions to destroy thousands of farms and tens of thousands of farm jobs on these false and disturbing opinions. |
|
In their own words:
In early 2021, a new law requiring overtime pay for agriculture workers was passed. Listen to what farmworkers think of this law and why they are concerned their voices are not being heard by lawmakers.
|
|
|
|
|
Attention labor advocates, activists and lawmakers:
Please take the time to listen to us farmworkers. You may think you are helping us by demanding we be paid overtime. But, it is actually hurting us very much! Much of our work is seasonal, not year round. Farm owners can't afford overtime and that means they limit our hours. We want to work extra hours during the busy seasons to provide for our families and pay our bills. Please give us flexibility. We don't want to lose our jobs and don't want our pay limited by your "help." |
Why farm workers are opposed to overtime back-pay lawsuits
|
Even though they could potentially collect money via back-pay lawsuits in the wake of the Washington State Supreme Court's ruling on overtime pay for farm work, HR manager Felipe Garcia says that they're concerned about a much larger risk. He says workers are saying it's not worth the much more significant damage that lawsuits against farms would cause. He explains that workers know their jobs are in jeopardy, because the potential financial burden of retroactive overtime pay could put the farms they work for out of business |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Before the agricultural overtime law was passed, these are other ways that
farmworkers and H2-A guest workers were being exploited.
|
|
|
|