A Fair Deal for California's Farmworkers April 6, 2012 When we
think about the people behind our food, the familiar faces at
the farmers market may readily come to mind. But the many other
individuals who do the hard work of planting, growing, and
harvesting that food may remain only a distant picture for us.
These agricultural workers, who often have specialized skills
and many years of experience, are generally among the least
recognized and respected members of our food system. As socially
conscious eaters know, farmworkers are excluded from federal
labor laws that guarantee the right to organize and, in some
cases, they are not afforded basic protections such as minimum
wage, overtime pay, and workers' compensation. According to the
US Department of Labor, three-fourths of agricultural workers
earn less than $10,000 annually. At many farms, the employment
terms are not spelled out on paper, leaving even greater room
for abuses. People of color and undocumented workers fare the
worst in this system. Even o