Workers at over 6 farms and packing companies are striking in the greater Yakima and Tri-Cities areas of Washington as of May 17, 2020. Among the unions deeply organizing are Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ / “Families United for Justice”).
Recent workplace guidelines sided with bosses to continue using cramped bunkbed housing at many farms and processing plants. Isolation during COVID-19 is not possible under those conditions.
At work, protections ranging from PPE, social distancing, paid sick time off are scarcely enforced (if available at all) by state regulatory bodies (Department of Health, Labor & Industries, and Gov. Inslee’s office). For H-2A workers, the potential to lose their job while recovering from COVID-19 means bosses can exploit them to work despite being sick as there’s the constant threat of deportation — on top of the missed and meager pay all other workers face.
Demand Farms Negotiate with Workers Volunteer to Make Masks Donate to Familias Unidas por la Justicia
Call Governor Inslee’s Office Call the Department of Labor & Industries Call the Department of Health
Demand Farms Negotiate with Workers
Bargaining needs to happen to make the deepest impact. The demands below can’t wait for a legislative remedy (though it is still important long-term).
Allan Brothers Fruit in Naches, WA (509) 653-2625
Jack Frost Fruit Co. in Yakima, WA (509) 248-5231
Matson Fruit Co. in Selah, WA (509) 697-7100
Monson Fruit Co. in Selah, WA (509) 697-9175 (In negotiation!)
Columbia Ranch in Yakima, WA (509) 457-8001
- Start negotiations in good faith with workers. The bosses need to hear the demands of workers and fulfill them company-wide.
- Farmworkers need protective gear. Personal protective equipment, including properly fitting masks (minimum 2 per day), face shields, and gloves aren’t reliably available or in the sizes needed.
- Cleaning of workspaces and equipment and readily available cleaning supplies and shields.
- Cramped, bunkhousing is a disaster waiting to happen. We can’t afford to wait-and-see on this issue. Emergency housing is needed, whether shelters and/or use of hotels to ensure social distancing on and off site.
- Protect pay and employment status. Paid time off protections to prevent disruption to employment status and pay.
- Hazard pay graduating to a permanent increase to ensure those willing to take on this needed work have the resources they need to care for their families.
Volunteer to Make Masks/PPE
We have already distributed masks to janitors, buildings and ground workers, and food service workers whose employers don’t provide them, and we just made a large delivery of 150 masks to farm workers in Yakima. Our masks include inserts that provide information about the masks and about Seattle DSA. Masks don’t just protect the people who wear them — they protect everyone!
Sewing supplies come with instructive info and the option of the virtual company of other sew-cialists who can help if you have any problems. Or we will gladly receive donations of masks made with your own supplies. Most people choose to pick up materials and drop off finished masks at our location near I-5 in Shoreline, but deliveries can be arranged as well. If you are interested in helping out, please fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/FTvNEvVwhjCgVQZT8
Donate to Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ)
Donate directly to FUJ (bottom of page) to support workers on the front-lines in their strike.
Call Governor Inslee’s Office
Phone: 360-902-4111 option 2
Much of the COVID-19 response has been through Governor’s order. Yet many essential workers don’t have what they need, esp. farmworkers, whose labor was deliberating overlooked in the response. Stress these demands identified by farmworkers:
- Farmworkers need protective gear. Personal protective equipment, including properly fitting masks, face shields, and gloves aren’t reliably available or in the sizes needed.
- Cramped, bunkhousing is a disaster waiting to happen. We can’t afford to wait-and-see on this issue. Emergency housing is needed, whether shelters and/or use of hotels to ensure social distancing on and off site.
- Scale up monitoring and enforcement against bosses. Monitoring and enforcement of the housing rules have not been scaled up during the crisis.
- Protect pay and employment status. Paid time off protections to prevent disruption to employment status and pay.
- Hazard pay to ensure those willing to take on this needed work have the resources they need to care for their families.
Call the Department of Labor & Industries
Phone: 206-515-2800 or 1-800-423-7233
The Department of Labor & Industires is responsible for the rule-making and enforcement response to establish safe, humane housing where people can isolate, including private bathrooms and sleeping areas. The rules take effect May 18, 2020. Make these demand known:
- Farmworkers need protective gear. Personal protective equipment, including properly fitting masks, face shields, and gloves aren’t reliably available or in the sizes needed.
- Cramped, bunkhousing is a disaster waiting to happen. We can’t afford to wait-and-see on this issue. Emergency housing is needed, whether shelters and/or use of hotels to ensure social distancing on and off site.
- Scale up monitoring and enforcement against bosses. Monitoring and enforcement of the housing rules have not been scaled up during the crisis.
Call the Department of Health
Phone: 1-800-525-0127
The Department of Health plays a large role in identifying how to respond to the crisis and their work feeds into what’s monitored and demanded of employers by L&I. Alignment between both agencies is needed for an effective response. Reiterate the demands:
- Farmworkers need protective gear. Personal protective equipment, including properly fitting masks, face shields, and gloves aren’t reliably available or in the sizes needed.
- Cramped, bunkhousing is a disaster waiting to happen. We can’t afford to wait-and-see on this issue. Emergency housing is needed, whether shelters and/or use of hotels to ensure social distancing on and off site.
- Scale up monitoring and enforcement against bosses. Monitoring and enforcement of the housing rules have not been scaled up during the crisis.
Write Washington State Legislature
We’ve made the task easier through our form on ActionNetwork. No look-up or postage needed, demand that state representatives allocate the resources needed by agencies to deliver on the demands of farmworkers.