Earlier this month, there was a fascinating article by the Philadelphia CityPaper about how homeless men in Philadelphia sometimes end up picking potatoes in North Carolina. With the promise of housing and steady work, recruiters find men who are willing to make the trek down South. The article highlights their experiences, which often consist of various kinds of exploitation.
Exploitation of farmworkers, whether homeless men or recent immigrants, is no accident. As the story notes:
For the 4,000-some labor camps across North Carolina, the state's Department of Labor has only seven employees inspecting for working violations, according to Melinda Wiggins, executive director of Student Action with Farmworkers in North Carolina, who is herself the daughter and granddaughter of sharecroppers. She and her team visit labor camps across North Carolina to interview migrant workers and encourage them to stand up for their rights.
They also pressure federal and state authorities to crack down on housing and labor violations. Beyond the lack of resources, she says, is a lack of will by federal and state officials whom she says have been heavily influenced by the agriculture lobby. In 2008, the Charlotte Observer reported that campaign donors for the Department of Labor commissioner, Cherie K. Berry, had systematically reduced fines for labor law violations for certain companies. The Observer investigation found that companies that donated to the commissioners' campaign saw a reduction of 70 percent in their citation fines.
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Student Action with Farmworkers is a founding member of the Farmworker Advocacy Network.