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Housing |
The number of farmworkers in need of housing exceeds the number of available housing units. The only national data on hired farmworker housing shows that in 1980, available units could house only about 30 percent of the migrant farmworkers in need of housing. Hired farmworkers, particularly migrants, also face barriers to obtaining housing in the local private housing markets. Small rural communities may not have enough rental units available, or they may be unavailable to migrant farmworkers because they cannot provide deposits, qualify in credit checks, or make long-term rental commitments. Continue to a more in-depth examination of farmworker housing |
Farmworker Health |
Some health concerns are clearly attributable to the occupational hazards of farm work. Dermatitis and respiratory problems caused by natural fungi, dusts, and pesticides are common. Lack of safe drinking water contributes to dehydration and heat stroke. The absence of toilet facilities leads to urinary retention, which is in turn linked to urinary tract infection. Farmworkers suffer such infections more often than the general population. Migrant workers don't generally earn enough to pay for health care, and they almost never have health insurance. They may also lack transportation to the clinic or, since they don't receive sick leave, be afraid of losing wages or even losing their jobs if they take time off to seek health care. The U.S. Public Health Service funds some migrant health centers to help provide care to farmworkers, but not nearly enough to meet the need. Continue to a more in-depth examination of farmworker health |
Education and child-care |
The circumstances of farmworker children are particularly poignant. Poverty and migration make it difficult for farmworker children to create a different future for themselves. Constant mobility makes it hard for farmworker children to complete their education. The median educational level for the head of a migrant household was 6 years in 1986. Continue to a more in-depth examination of farmworker education and child-care |
Labor Organization |
One of the greatest disadvantages experienced by farmworkers is not participating in decisions that affect their well-being. This is a consequence of the agricultural and political system in which they work. Despite well-documented deprivations, farmworkers are either specifically excluded from some key labor laws, such as the National Labor Relations Act, or have legal standards reduced for them, as with many child labor laws. Continue to a more in-depth examination of labor organization |
Pastoral Issues |
The churches have been very important in the farmworker movement in this country. In the sixties and seventies, attempts to unionize farmworkers to obtain just wages and better working conditions had much support from the churches. Many religious women and priests were in the marches of central California in support of justice for the farmworkers. There is a history of prophetic witness for migrant farmworkers in the churches, and it should not be overlooked today when the struggle for farmworker justice is even more acute. Migrant farmworkers are in a very real sense "Pilgrim Church." Even though migrants live in their native country (unlike refugees or immigrants), they are still are not "at home," either in the country or in the church. The challenge to us as Church is to reach out to these brothers and sisters, who work so hard to provide us with food. We should help them feel welcomed, accepted, and needed. Continue to a more in-depth examination of farmworker religious life |
