Migrant farmworkers in NC face a challenging system
Summary
Date Reported: 13 Dec 2023
Location: United States of America
Other
Not Reported ( Tobacco ) - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( 1 - Location unknown , Tobacco , Men , Documented migrants )Issues
Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Occupational Health & Safety , Illness , Access to Non-Judicial Remedy , Heat exposureResponse
Response sought: No
Source type: News outlet
Summary
Date Reported: 13 Dec 2023
Location: United States of America
Other
Not Reported ( Agriculture & livestock ) - EmployerAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Migrant & immigrant workers: ( Number unknown - Location unknown , Tobacco , Men , Documented migrants )Issues
Excessive production targets , Heat exposure , Intimidation , Occupational Health & Safety , Precarious/Unsuitable Living Conditions , Restricted mobility , Reasonable Working Hours & Leisure TimeResponse
Response sought: No
Source type: News outlet
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From 2011 to 2023, at least five agriculture, forestry and fishing workers died from heat-related causes in North Carolina, according to state Occupational Safety and Health data.
Thirty-year-old José Arturo González Mendoza may belong on that list — he died on Sept. 5, harvesting sweet potatoes at Barnes Farming & Farm Pak in Nash County. The cause of death is still undetermined, but his brother Gustavo believes José Arturo died because of harsh working conditions exacerbated by extreme heat.
The H-2A visa program has a history of controversy. Advocates say H-2A workers in North Carolina are vulnerable to abuses at each step of the visa program because employers hold so much power over them, making them afraid to speak up.
Still, some farms claim to pose a more progressive model. Advocates also hope that proposed federal regulations, if adopted, would help ameliorate the systemic issues in the program — although many expressed concerns over a lack of staffing in the enforcement agencies...
This is not the first time the farm has been embroiled in controversy over its workers. One of the oldest incidents was a 1983 Congressional oversight hearing that pointed to two labor camp operators for Barnes Farming who repeatedly violated labor laws. Migrant farmworkers sued Barnes Farming in 1986 and 2013 over unpaid or too-low wages and substandard housing conditions.
As part of the earlier statement, the Barnes Farming spokesperson wrote: “The Company takes the health and safety of each one of its team members extremely seriously and has prioritized health and safety since the Farm was started.”...