agriculture workers

Morning dew glistens on a tobacco leaf in a field outside Rolesville, N.C. Despite a worldwide decline in production, tobacco remains North Carolina's most valuable crop.

It Is Legal For Kids To Work On Tobacco Farms, But It Can Make Them Sick

2:29pm July 13, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

Advocates say that gaps in federal regulations leave child workers vulnerable to the health risks of nicotine and pesticide exposure. Labor laws allow larger farms to hire kids as young as 12.

A new report highlights victims of human trafficking in the food industry, from farm workers to restaurant bus staff, cooks and wait staff. Some victims are exploited for both sex and labor.

In U.S. Restaurants, Bars And Food Trucks, 'Modern Slavery' Persists

7:37pm March 29, 2017

by Maria Godoy

A new report highlights victims of human trafficking in the food industry, from farm workers to restaurant cooks and wait staff. Some victims are exploited for both sex and labor.

More than 40,000 people attended Chavez's funeral on April 29, 1993. The casket was carried through Arizona farmland.

National

Cesar Chavez: The Life Behind A Legacy Of Farm Labor Rights

4:42pm August 12, 2016

by Maureen Pao

From his earliest days picking peas to improving wages and working conditions as a union leader, Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to giving voice to the exploited men and women who grow America's food.

Justino DeLeon, 58, stands in front of his home in Pharr, Texas. A former watermelon picker; he retired from farm work when he fell off a melon truck and hurt his arm.

In South Texas, Fair Wages Elude Farmworkers, 50 Years After Historic Strike

9:34am August 11, 2016

by John Burnett

Farmworkers in South Texas marched 200 miles for better wages and working conditions. But the strike ultimately failed, and workers today face the same problem: growers who systematically underpay.

Queue Listen Now

Workers sort through strawberry roots on a planter pulled behind a tractor at Sakuma Brothers Farm in Burlington, Wash.

National

Washington Berry Pickers Push For Elusive Union Contract

5:57pm June 17, 2015

by Liz Jones

Only about 2 percent of farm workers in the county are part of a union, and few have successfully negotiated contracts with farms. Workers at the Sakuma Brothers Farm are trying for both.