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Farmworker Advocacy: Ensuring Rights and Welfare for CNY Agriculture Workers (Reader Letters)

Employee wellbeing is crucial for maintaining our skilled workforce, asserts Brian Reeves, President of the New York State Vegetable Growers Association.

Farmworker Advocacy: Ensuring Rights and Welfare for Agricultural Laborers (Reader Correspondence)
Farmworker Advocacy: Ensuring Rights and Welfare for Agricultural Laborers (Reader Correspondence)

Farmworker Advocacy: Ensuring Rights and Welfare for CNY Agriculture Workers (Reader Letters)

In the heart of America, New York's agriculture industry is making a significant stride in prioritizing the safety and well-being of its farmworkers. Year after year, these workers choose to return to work in the Empire State, and the industry is grateful for their dedication.

The New York State Vegetable Growers Association recognizes the high risks farmworkers face from hazards such as heavy machinery, pesticide exposure, and heat stress. Additionally, broader concerns about their legal status and job security within the agricultural labor force are being addressed head-on. Ensuring the health and safety of farmworkers is crucial, not just for protecting individual workers, but also for maintaining a stable agricultural workforce.

Measures taken or supported include health and safety programs, legal and immigration support, and surveillance and health protections for related sectors. Cooperative extension services promote farmworker health and safety by providing education, training, and resources aimed at reducing injuries and exposure to harmful substances.

Advocacy for legal reforms such as the proposed Dignity Act of 2025, which would offer legal status to certain undocumented immigrants, is also underway. This would help secure workers’ rights and benefits, addressing labor issues related to visas and job security, including the limitations of the H-2A guest worker visa for year-round jobs.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets collaborates with federal agencies to ensure animal health, indirectly protecting farmworkers who interact with animals. This holistic approach to worker safety reinforces the commitment to safeguarding farmworkers' rights, health, and immigration status, which is essential for the sustainability of vegetable farming in New York.

Furthermore, family farms in New York advocate for secret ballot elections for their employees, recognizing the importance of fair treatment and support for retaining talent in the agriculture industry.

Partnerships with agencies like the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) provide safety trainings for farms. Some of the programs offered by NYCAMH's safety specialists include respiratory training, fit testing, stress and mental health services, and assistance related to the well-being of the workforce. Bilingual safety trainings are also provided to cater to the diverse workforce in New York.

Employees in New York's agriculture industry have access to various benefits, supports, and opportunities, reflecting the industry's commitment to fostering a fair labor environment. Together, these efforts aim to reduce labor shortages caused by fear of immigration raids and working condition hazards, creating a more stable and secure workforce for the future.

  1. The New York State Vegetable Growers Association, focused on workplace-wellness, is promoting programs aimed at reducing injuries and exposure to harmful substances in the agriculture industry, thus contributing to the health-and-wellness of farmworkers.
  2. Partnerships with agencies like the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) extend beyond safety trainings, offering programs that address stress and mental health, as well as bilingual safety trainings, to cater to the diverse workforce and support the overall health and well-being of employees in the agriculture industry.

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