Tough Road Ahead for NC Poultry Workers

Photo by Flickr member: USDAgov

Guest post by John Zambenini, Duke Divinity School Intern

The Raleigh News & Observer reported recently that work may be getting harder for North Carolina’s poultry workers. If the Obama administration gives the go-ahead, new policies already backed by North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan will allow the difficult speeds at which workers must process chickens to increase. Under the new regulations, the total output of inspected birds would increase from 140 birds per minute to 175.

Facing a dizzying onslaught of chickens and turkeys on fast-moving mechanical equipment, workers risk injuring hands, wrists, and shoulders from the quick, repetitive motions needed to process the birds. A mistake with a knife at such a rate can be costly, and the work often comes with low pay and little protection. Many injuries go unreported, according to the News & Observer story, because workers are afraid of being fired and have few other options for work in the United States.

At a recent Day of the Dead memorial service hosted by the Farmworker Advocacy Network – a statewide coalition which includes the NC Council of Churches – workers told reporters that as they gain experience, the number of birds they must process increases. Pay raises, however, were so meager that with the increased number of birds to process, their wages were effectively cut. With the anticipated changes, the output of poultry processing facilities is expected to increase even more, with little promise of benefit.

On the same day, officials released stats on annual workplace deaths in the state. Despite a decrease from last year, Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry conceded the state must do better, the News & Observer reported. Preventing a death here, or protecting a worker against pesticide exposure or injury there, is a worthwhile endeavor. While increased workplace safety is commendable, incremental reductions of injuries and deaths represents a misguided view of what it means to live and work in North Carolina.

This kind of effort alone creates a culture of acceptable margins of error for injury and death when year-end statistics are released, rather than endeavoring to create a humane, safe and just climate for labor in North Carolina in the first place. It has nothing to say of creating a clean, hospitable environment when migrant workers, upon which the industry is dependent, are employed. This kind of labor culture also has nothing to say for the powerless when increased production is demanded with no promise of the support needed to sustain them.

Meanwhile, industry trade journal Ag Professional is reporting that 2013 meant huge growth in North Carolina’s $70 billion agriculture industry, with continued expansion expected in 2014. The policy changes backed by Sen. Hagan and the poultry industry no doubt promise growth for North Carolina’s $13 billion poultry industry, as well. Progress is evidently being made, growth is happening. But what are we becoming if we grow with little concern for those upon whom we are dependent?

The post Tough Road Ahead for NC Poultry Workers appeared first on NC Council of Churches.

The Journey of Your Christmas Tree

Stand up for poultry workers as America sits down to eat turkey

photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library, via Flickr

Dear friends of farm and poultry workers, 

Did you know that North Carolina ranks 4th in the nation in the poultry industry and generates close to $3 billion in cash receipts? Line speeds at poultry processing plants are dangerously fast--resulting in frequent injuries and even death-- and inspections are few...Yet the US Department of Agriculture is proposing to allow faster line speeds and looser industry rules which will put poultry workers at even greater risk.

Join us and our allies across the nation this Thanksgiving as we take a minute to tweet at the USDA and the US Department of Labor to demand dignity and safety for the workers who helped bring turkey to our tables. Use the hashtag #pardonme and send a message to: @USDAFoodSafety and @LaborSec or click on the "tweet" link in the sentence above. 

Read an action alert from our friends at National Council of La Raza and the Northwest Arkansas Workers' Justice Center here.

Find more facts on the NC poultry industry here. 

After you tweet, tell you friends and family to do the same! Let's stand up for the workers who put food on our table this Thanksgiving.

Speakers at FAN’s Day of the Dead event call on legislators, regulatory agencies for change

Photographs by Caitlin Bearden

Four speakers at FAN’s Day of the Dead event on Saturday, November 2, testified to the dangerous conditions in North Carolina farm and processing work and called on legislators and enforcement agencies to enact better conditions for workers. Speakers and supporters gathered in front of a Day of the Dead altar at El Centro Restaurant in downtown Raleigh.

 

Two workers who had traveled from Morganton to speak testified to the dangerous line speed in poultry processing plants, where workers are currently required to process up to 45 chickens per minute. Besides being dangerous, workers recounted that they are not treated with even a basic modicum of dignity; both poultry workers spoke of not being allowed to use the bathroom, even testifying to a case where a pregnant woman was not permitted to use the bathroom and was humiliated by supervisors and nearly fired.

 

Bacilio Castro, a former poultry worker who is now an organizer with the Western NC Workers’ Center, called on people to make the connection between working conditions and immigration reform. He encouraged those present to contact their congresspeople, since comprehensive immigration reform would allow workers to come out of the shadows and work legally, enabling them to report dangerous conditions without fear of being deported. Clermont Ripley of the NC Justice Center signaled the necessity of better enforcement of existing laws, calling on enforcement agencies to do their part to protect farmworkers in the state.

Volunteers from the audience read obituaries of three North Carolina farmworkers who have died in the last two years, and Nancy Petty, a religious leader from Raleigh, concluded the event with a prayer by Cesar Chavez:

Show me the suffering of the most miserable; 

So I will know my people's plight. 

Free me to pray for others; 

For you are present in every person.

Help me take responsibility for my own life;

So that I can feel free at last.

Grant me courage to serve others;

For in service there is true life.

Give me honesty and patience;

So that I can work with other workers.

Bring forth song and celebration;

So that the Spirit will be alive among us.

Let the Spirit flourish and grow;

So that we will never tire of the struggle.

Let us remember those who have died for justice;

For they have given us life.

Help us love even those who hate us;

So we can change the world.

Answer the call: Act Now

1. Take a minute to like FAN on Facebook and post a comment about these issues. For example: 'I'm outraged that lies and money got in the way of protecting farmworker kids. It's time for Labor Commissioner Berry to stop shirking responsibilities and catering to her special interest groups instead of her real consitutency: workers'. --Emily Drakage, Raleigh, NC

2. Host a short film screening at your church, community organization, or neighborhood pub. We have lots of great films available includingHarvest of Dignity, Our Forgotten Neighbors, and Uprooted Innocence.

3. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. These letters really matter - lawmakers take them very seriously. Here's a recent example from the Raleigh News & Observer and here's a toolkit to get you started. 

Honoring and Celebrating the Lives of NC Farmworkers

This Saturday, we will remember farmworkers who have died while working in NC the past few years. Workers and advocates are urged to join us to celebrate the Day of the Dead, at Centro restaurant in Raleigh on Saturday, November 2 at 11:00 am as we gather around a traditional Day of the Dead altar to honor those who have died or become fatally ill on the job.

The Day of the Dead is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated throughout Latin America to honor and celebrate loved ones who have passed on.  This holiday is particularly celebrated in Mexico on the first two days of November. However many countries and cultures recognize similar holidays on these same days-All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day.  Traditions associated with the Day of the Dead include creating an altar and decorating it with flowers, sugar skulls, pictures, gifts, personal possessions of the deceased, as well as favorite foods and drinks of the deceased.

 

This year the Farmworker Advocacy Network celebrates the lives of 3 individuals, farmworkers from Mexico and Guatemala, who have died while working or who have died from the harsh conditions of their work environment. The lives and work of these three men represent the thousands of men, women, and children workers who are exposed daily to the austere living and working conditions, including inadequate housing and exposure to toxic pesticides. Because the labor laws in our country are dangerously antiquated, workers are not adequately protected; therefore their lives are at risk each and every time they step into the fields or into the processing plant.

We ask that you take a few moments today, and join us tomorrow at Centro, to honor and celebrate the lives of North Carolina farmworkers.

RSVP to the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event on Saturday: https://www.facebook.com/events/654136584617468/ and spread the word!

ALVARO

On Nov. 12, 2012, a 41-year-old migrant farmworker named Alvaro Tomas died after being struck by a truck while harvesting sweet potatoes in Ayden, NC. On the day of the accident, 132 migrant farmworkers were harvesting sweet potatoes in a 30-acre field. The farmworkers were divided into six groups, with one truck per group, and were harvesting sweet potatoes on both sides of the truck. Two workers were in front of each truck setting the pace of the work. Alvaro was one of the farmworkers harvesting sweet potatoes alongside the truck. When his group’s truck was full, the driver backed out of the field so that he would not drive over unharvested sweet potatoes. It is not clear if the driver honked the horn, or verbally told the workers he was going to back up. However, two workers were still behind the truck harvesting when he did. Alvaro Tomas was struck by the truck and died as a result of his injuries. He was from Guatemala but living in a labor camp in Snow Hill at the time of his death. It is believed his brother was working with him when this accident happened. No charges were expected to be filed. We ask that you please take a moment on this Dia de los Muertos to honor Alvaro's life.

ANDRES

 Andres Sandoval from Durango, Mexico, died in March 2013 at 43 years old, single and leaving behind one child and his parents that they lived with. Four years ago while working in crops near Benson, North Carolina, he asked for a doctor’s appointment because he felt like “there was a ball in his stomach” and it bothered him to sleep on that side. After being seen at a rural clinic, he was referred to the hospital and was soon diagnosed with Leukemia. The doctor said clearly that he could live for many years if he followed all of the instructions.

Andres came to the United States year after year for nine years. He was a pesticide applicator in the fields. He believed that his illness was due to his prolonged contact with pesticides. At the end of the agricultural season in 2012 during one of his exams, news for Andres from the doctor was not good; the cancer had changed and they had to make more frequent appointments and changes to his medicines. But his visa was about to expire and he had to return to Mexico. The doctor expressed concern about Andres’ trip and tried to get him to stay with a humanitarian visa, even working on this effort after Andres had left the U.S.. Sadly, Andres died in Mexico after weeks of suffering.

The health outreach team that coordinated care for Andres, at North Carolina Farmworkers Project, say, “He left us with a legacy – his perseverance, his courage, and above all, his great love for agriculture!!! May he rest in peace, our friend Andres!!!”

MANUEL

Manuel Hernandez Florencia was a 45- year old migrant farmworker from Comonfort, Guanajuato, Mexico.  In a tragic accident, Manuel passed away on August 19th, 2013 when he was struck by a car while trying to cross a very dark stretch of highway in Franklin, NC.  He had been living in the United States and working in agriculture for approximately 16 years.  During his time in the United States Manuel worked harvesting a variety of crops including oranges, strawberries, blueberries, tobacco and tomatoes.  He had arrived in Franklin, NC two weeks prior to the accident with a migrant crew to pick tomatoes.  Manuel was living with four other men in an old hotel room, none of whom were related nor knew each other very well.  The hotel was located on a very busy stretch of Highway 441 South which runs between Atlanta, GA and Western North Carolina.  Manuel passed away while trying to walk to the closest store that evening.  He is survived by a son in Florida, a sister in Georgia, and a wife in Comonfort.  Two weeks after his death, Manuel was returned to his family in Comonfort, Guanajuato where he was given a proper burial. We ask that you please take a moment on this Día de los Muertos to honor Manuel’s life.

FAN Stands in Solidarity Against the Agricultural Guestworker Act

The Farmworker Advocacy Network is one of over 200 coalitions, groups, and organizations that have recently signed a letter* opposing Representative Goodlatte’s Agricultural Guestworker Act, H.R. 1773, or the “Ag Act”. We believe this legislation could devastate our nation’s agricultural system and undermine core American values.

 As written in a recent FAN blog post, the Ag Act seeks to lower protections for farmworkers by stripping away decades of worker protections to leave guestworkers virtually no protection from abusive conditions. Employers will not need to verify adequate working conditions, wages or insurance coverage for injuries, thus eliminating oversight of worker’s rights. Additionally, guestworkers are offered no pathway to becoming permanent legal U.S. citizens. Instead they will be required to self-deport with the only the possibility of returning as a temporary guestworker. This would leave temporary workers in a highly vulnerable position to be exploited solely for their labor.

 As a coalition, we strongly oppose the Ag Act and believe it is an unworkable, anti-immigrant and anti- worker approach to our nation’s immigration problems. Hard-working farmworkers do not deserve to be relegated to a permanent 2nd class status apart from their families. As such, the Ag Act stands contrary to our nation’s core values of freedom, equality and family unity. Farmworkers have made invaluable contributions to our country, and they deserve protections that not only keep them safe but uphold their dignity as individuals and workers.

  View the letter opposing the Agricultural Guestworker Act

*This letter has already been sent to members of the House of Representatives, however individuals can still join FAN in saying "NO" to unfair and un-workable farmworker legislation by weighing-in with their members of Congress or by accessing the United Farm Workers action alert calling for immigration reform. 

Harvest of Dignity Dinner, Screening and CIW Truth Tour

By Margaret Wurth at Human Rights Watch

By Margaret Wurth at Human Rights Watc

By Nadeen Bir at Student Action with Farmworkers

Two weeks ago, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers kicked off their Publix Truth tour in NC to share with their allies how Publix has refused to participate in the Fair Food Program. On Monday, September 23^rd, the Farmworker Advocacy Network, Student Action with Farmworkers, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, Minnow Media, the NC Council of Churches, Witness for Peace, and the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship came together to welcome our friends from Immokalee to share their fight for a fair food system. 
 

From L to R: Oscar Otzoy, Elena Stein, and Emilio Faustino Galindo, Coalition of Immokalee Workers; Emily Zucchino, Witness for Peace; Chris Liu-Beers, NC Council of Churches; Dave Austin, Farm Labor Organizing Committee; Donna Campbell, Minnow Media Eno River UU Fellowship. Photo by Michael Durbin.We started the night with a presentation from the CIW's Don Emilio and Oscar sharing the amazing work that they are doing teaching other farmworkers about their rights on the job.  When companies join the Fair Food campaign, workers get paid a penny more per pound for the tomatoes they pick, they get to report labor abuses without fear of losing their job, and women have more protections against sexual harassment in the workplace, among other benefits. There are still companies who have not come to the negotiations table and right now the CIW is targeting Wendy’s and Publix, who have plans to expand in North Carolina. 

After the talk and dinner, we screened Harvest of Dignity, a film documenting the need in NC for safe places to live, safe places to work, and stronger enforcement of the law for farmworkers. The audience got a peek into the lives of North Carolina men, women, and children who work in the fields and also heard from advocates about how conditions haven’t really changed in the last 60 years. The film was followed with a panel discussion that highlighted the work of several event sponsors and the audience was encouraged to sign up on listserves, sign petitions, and to support our various campaigns. 

Find out more about how to get involved with the Harvest of Dignity campaign and the CIW Publix Truth Tour.

North Carolina: Choosing Not to Protect Child Farmworkers

By Margaret Wurth at Human Rights Watch l Originally published in the Raleigh News & Observer

When I met “Miguel” on a farm in Eastern North Carolina in July, he was working in the fields in his stocking feet, his torso draped with a black plastic garbage bag. He didn’t have work boots that could withstand the thick mud from the summer’s heavy rains or a raincoat to keep his clothes dry. He described the headaches he gets while working 10-hour days in intense heat. “It was horrible,” he said. “It felt like there was something in my head, trying to eat it.”

Unlike most other middle-schoolers, 12-year-old Miguel was spending his summer vacation planting sweet potatoes, pulling the tops off tobacco plants and harvesting watermelons. When I asked whether he had ever missed a day of school to work in the fields, he misunderstood and quickly answered, “Yeah, I miss school. I miss my friends, and my teacher, and homework, and recess, and lunch. I miss all of that.”

Gov. Pat McCrory has proclaimed this week “Farm Health and Safety Week” in North Carolina, acknowledging that youth are among the agricultural workers “at higher risk than others.” I doubt Miguel will be celebrating.

Across North Carolina, thousands of children like Miguel work long hours on commercial farms that make agriculture the state’s top industry. Many use sharp tools, operate dangerous machinery and lift heavy loads.

With little access to protective equipment, they are exposed to pesticides and other toxic chemicals.

“Laura,” now 17, told me she saw a tractor spraying the field where she worked when she was 15. “They were spraying on the other side of the field, but you could still smell it. I got a lot of splotches on my legs. And the man we worked for, he didn’t want to take us out of the field at first.”

Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticide exposure as their bodies are still developing, and they consume more water and food and breathe more air, pound for pound, than adults. Long-term effects of pesticide exposure include cancer, neurological problems and reproductive health issues.

Most children working on farms in North Carolina are poor and Latino. While their parents are frequently undocumented migrants, most of the children are U.S. citizens. Farmworker parents rely on their children’s minimum wage earnings to help supplement meager family incomes, averaging less than $20,000 annually nationwide.

Under a double standard in federal labor law, children can work in agriculture at far younger ages, for far longer hours and in far more hazardous conditions than other working children. Federal law has no minimum age for children to work on small farms with their parents’ permission. At age 12, children can work for hire on a farm of any size.

In all other industries, children must be at least 14 to work, and the jobs they are allowed to do are carefully restricted. Farm work is one of the most hazardous occupations open to children. Moreover, child farmworkers can do jobs at age 16 that are considered “particularly hazardous” by the U.S. Department of Labor, jobs that are restricted for children under 18 working anywhere else.

Efforts to amend federal laws and policies to protect children or establish a higher minimum age to work in agriculture have fallen short. Congress has failed to close the loophole that would provide child farmworkers with the same minimum age protections as all other working children.

Even an attempt to update the decade-old list of hazardous tasks that are off-limits to children under 16 collapsed last year when the Obama administration caved in to opposition from the agricultural lobby and others.

North Carolina was poised to take an important step to protect children during the last legislative session. Senate Bill 707 would have prohibited children under 14 from working for hire in agriculture. Despite an explicit exception for children working on family farms, the bill was left to die in committee.

In light of the General Assembly’s failure to address hazardous child labor, McCrory’s “Farm Health and Safety Week” seems like an empty proclamation. If North Carolina’s policymakers are serious about protecting children, they should amend state law to apply the same minimum age requirements and hazardous work restrictions to farmworker children that already protect all other working children. The lives of children who work on North Carolina’s farms depend on it.

Margaret Wurth, a University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill graduate, is a senior research assistant with the Children’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch.