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Cooper Backs Off Executive Order Protecting Agriculture Workers, Cites Reluctance From State Agencies

Farmworkers pick strawberries in Efland, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Governor Roy Cooper's office is backing off an executive order that promised labor protections for agricultural workers during the pandemic. State labor and health officials argued they would be unable to enforce the regulations.

The N.C Farmworker Advocacy Network released a statement denouncing the governor's decision to rescind the commitment to safety measures. The agriculture coalition has been demanding more protection for workers since the start of the pandemic, as first reported by Spanish language outlets Enlace Latino NC and Que Pasa.

Cooper spokeswoman Dory MacMillan told The News & Observer that while “protecting agriculture and meat processing workers is a high priority ... there remains significant disagreement among growers, state labor officials, and workers about overall solutions. “

The original executive order addressed social distancing and sanitation requirements, COVID-19 screenings, and improved access to testing for workers.

The coalition pushing for increased worker protections says they were told by Cooper's office that because of pushback from labor officials, the executive order would do “more harm than good.”

The state has seen an increase in COVID-19 outbreaks at meatpacking plants and farmworker housing units since the start of the pandemic. 

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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