Hear Our Voices.
Meet Washingtons Farmworkers.
This video will put you face to face with dozens of Washington’s more than 100,000 farmworkers. As you will hear they are harmed, hurt and angered by the opinions of three Washington Supreme Court justices and the decision by the five judges.
Their false statements about farmworkers, their pay, their safety, their dignity are unbelievable and inexcusable. Worse, Senator Rebecca Saldaña is basing decisions to destroy thousands of farms and tens of thousands of farm jobs on these false and disturbing opinions.
I’m a Washington farm worker. Please listen to my story.
My name is Carlos Galindo. I’m from Manzanillo, Colima. My colleagues and I are from different states we are all family here and we help each other. The opportunity to come here is amazing and not everyone is lucky enough to come. I hope to continue coming and hope more people get this opportunity as many people want to come. I have a wife and three kids and financially we are doing good. I pay rent and now I have a place to call mine.
My name is Miguel Luis Sanchez, I’m from Coalcoma, Mexico. My only dream is for my son to be well and have an education. With the guest worker program I can provide everything he needs for his education. He wants to be a doctor and I am incredibly happy. He will save lives. In Mexico it is very hard to get a good paying job. Security is not good. There is a lot of violence in my town. It’s a sacrifice to be separated from my son, I know he needs me, too. But I am super happy for this program.
My name is Ricardo, I’m from the state of Jalisco, Mexico. The H2-A (guest worker) program has been a big impact on my life. I have been able to invest in my own farm, buying more cattle and more sugar cane. I bought two lots to build my house. Wages in Mexico are not good. It would take two weeks in Mexico to earn what I can earn here in about five hours.
With the guest worker program I do not have so much pressure on how I am going to pay bills for school, clothes and help my parents as well. This program has helped many people, not just me.
We are among the more than 20,000 farm workers from Mexico and other nations to help harvest Washington’s fruit crops. These jobs change our lives. We need your help to keep these jobs.
Please take the time to listen.
Attention labor advocates, activists and lawmakers:
You may think you are helping us by demanding we be paid overtime. But, it is actually hurting us very much! Much of our work is seasonal, not year round. Farm owners can’t afford overtime and that means they limit our hours. We want to work extra hours during the busy seasons to provide for our families and pay our bills. Please give us flexibility. We don’t want to lose our jobs and don’t want our pay limited by your “help.”
Why farm workers are opposed to overtime back-pay lawsuits
Even though they could potentially collect money via back-pay lawsuits in the wake of the Washington State Supreme Court’s ruling on overtime pay for farm work, HR manager Felipe Garcia says that they’re concerned about a much larger risk.
He says workers are saying it’s not worth the much more significant damage that lawsuits against farms would cause. He explains that workers know their jobs are in jeopardy, because the potential financial burden of retroactive overtime pay could put the farms they work for out of business
Farm Worker Ulises Speaks Out Against New Wage Rules
Ulises shares how changes in WA wage rules for farming has already hurt him.
In their own words:
In early 2021, a new law requiring overtime pay for agriculture workers was passed. Listen to what farmworkers think of this law and why they are concerned their voices are not being heard by lawmakers.
Why Farm Workers Are Speaking Out Against New WA Overtime Rules
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Farm worker José says new state rules are hurting workers
“We thought that with the new overtime law things would get better, but it hurt us instead.”
Farm worker Zalvador shares frustration with new WA labor rules
“For me, this new rule is not helping me get ahead in life.”
Before the agricultural overtime law was passed, these are other ways that farmworkers and H2-A guest workers were being exploited.
Help guest workers and protect local food
Washington guest farmworkers’ jobs are at risk. These jobs are life-changing for the workers. Guest farm workers explain in their own words what Washington farm jobs mean to them and their families.
This farmworker is speaking out against a proposal for new fees on guest workers
Heri Chapula has worked on farms in Washington for decades in a variety of roles, and he explains why he’s against a proposal in Olympia to add a first-of-its-kind state fee on guest workers here via the H-2A visa program.