Laws: October, 2003 - Number #05

The state of Washington estimated there were an average 27,000 seasonal farm workers employed on state farms in 2002--seasonal workers were defined as persons employed less than 150 days on the responding farm. The number of seasonal workers peaked in July at 57,000, with about a third of peak employment in apples and a third in cherries. Total agricultural employment was estimated to be 87,000 in 2002, while statewide employment was 2.9 million- a fourth of the farm workers were in the Yakima area. Farm worker employment peaks in June-July at 130,000, dips in August, and rises again to 120,000 in September-October; in December-January, only 60,000 workers are employed. Annual earnings for year-round equivalent farm workers were lower than average--$16,800 for workers employed in agriculture compared to $38,300 for all workers in 2002. However, 150,000 individuals had agricultural earnings in 2002, and they worked an average 860 hours to earn $8,700 a year at just over $10 an hour. There is very high turnover from year-to-year- among those employed only in agriculture, only half reported in one year are reported again the next by farm employers to UI authorities. The number of UI claims peaks in December-January at about 10,000 a month, and the UI claimants with farm employers are mostly young Hispanic men. However, the percentage of women has been rising, and reached 36 percent in 2002. About 70 percent of the farm workers applying for UI benefits had less than a high-school education. The value of Washington commodities peaked in 1995 at $5.9 billion, including $1 billion worth of apples; in 2002, farm sales were $5.5 billion, including $1 billion of apples. Apple acres harvested peaked at 172,000 in 1998 and 1999, and fell to 164,000 in 2002. Colorado. Farmers can be responsible for the labor law violations of the FLCs they use to obtain workers. Lydia Soto brought workers to farmers in Weld County in northern Colorado and failed to pay them, and was sued by workers under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act. In an earlier case, a farmer paid $2,000 to workers after Soto failed to pay them. Firefighting. About 60 percent of the firefighters employed by the contractors who fight forest fires are Hispanics, many ex-farm workers who do not speak English. Some 300 20-man contractor crews were hired in 2003, and they must pay firefighters at least the minimum wage in the state where they are based, $6.90 an hour in Oregon; only the boss and three assistants must speak English. With overtime pay for 12-hour days, many report earning $2,500 a month, double the average of $1,000 a month in the fields; food and lodging are provided. Jaksich, Jeffrey. 2003. Agricultural Workforce in Washington State. http://www.wa.gov/esd/lmea/pubs/pubs.htm