News Article Type: Latest News

Biden Administration Department of Labor Decision on COVID-19 Safety Fails the Nation’s Essential Agriculture Workers

June 11, 2021 On June 10, more than sixteen months after the federal government declared a public health emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) finally published an emergency temporary standard for the workplace.  The mandatory rules only apply to the health care sector.  The … Read more Biden Administration Department of Labor Decision on COVID-19 Safety Fails the Nation’s Essential Agriculture Workers

Statement: House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Holds Hearing on Farmworker Exclusions in the Fair Labor Standards Act

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, the House Education and Labor Committee’s Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing entitled “From Excluded to Essential: Tracing the Racist Exclusion of Farmworkers, Domestic Workers, and Tipped Workers from the Fair Labor Standards Act.” Farmworker Justice, a national advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., applauds the Subcommittee Chair, Rep. Alma … Read more Statement: House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Holds Hearing on Farmworker Exclusions in the Fair Labor Standards Act

Farm Workforce Modernization Act reintroduced in the House of Representatives

(Washington, D.C.) – The Farm Workforce Modernization Act that passed the House of Representatives in 2019 was reintroduced on March 3 by Representatives Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California, and Dan Newhouse, Republican of Washington. Farmworker Justice assisted the United Farm Workers in the negotiations and strongly supported the bill that passed in 2019. The bipartisan, … Read more Farm Workforce Modernization Act reintroduced in the House of Representatives

Lawsuit Decision Overturning Trump Regulation on Agricultural Guestworker Worker Program Wage Rates Takes Effect: H-2A Guestworker Program Wage Rates Increase Modestly for 2021

(Washington, D.C.) — Today, the U.S Department of Labor formally published the annual Adverse Effect Wage Rates for 2021, ending the Trump Administration’s attempt to slash wages under the H-2A agricultural guestworker program that would have caused an average of $178 million a year in lost wages for farmworkers over 10 years. Today’s publication resulted … Read more Lawsuit Decision Overturning Trump Regulation on Agricultural Guestworker Worker Program Wage Rates Takes Effect: H-2A Guestworker Program Wage Rates Increase Modestly for 2021

Biden’s Labor Department withdraws Trump administration’s final rule on H-2A guest worker program

(Washington, D.C.) – Early Thursday morning, the Department of Labor announced the withdrawal of extensive regulations written by the Trump Administration that would have changed the H-2A guestworker program. The withdrawal occurred before their official publication in the Federal Register and therefore these regulations do not take effect. The Trump administration’s Department of Labor had … Read more Biden’s Labor Department withdraws Trump administration’s final rule on H-2A guest worker program

President Biden unveils comprehensive immigration reform on his first day in office

(Washington, D.C.) – Shortly after being sworn in, President Biden began working to fulfill one of his central campaign promises with his proposed immigration reform bill’s unveiling. If passed, this legislation would most notably grant an eight-year path to citizenship for most immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status as of January 1, 2021. … Read more President Biden unveils comprehensive immigration reform on his first day in office

Final rule change by Department of Labor diminishes livelihoods of U.S. and foreign farmworkers

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, the Department of Labor announced that it will shortly, presumably while President Trump is still in office, finalize extensive new regulations under the H-2A agricultural guestworker program. The program recently has allowed agricultural employers to employ over 200,000 guestworkers per year. Farmworker Justice is reviewing the 722-page document to assess its … Read more Final rule change by Department of Labor diminishes livelihoods of U.S. and foreign farmworkers

Farmworker Justice Supports the U.S. President-Elect’s Nomination of Marty Walsh as Department of Labor Secretary

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Farmworker Justice supports the President-elect’s nomination of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to serve as the next Department of Labor secretary. Involved with organized labor since the age of 21 and a former local union president, Mayor Walsh understands workers’ needs and how to address them.  Farmworkers, most of whom are immigrants, have … Read more Farmworker Justice Supports the U.S. President-Elect’s Nomination of Marty Walsh as Department of Labor Secretary

As the country survives an attempted overthrow of our democracy, Farmworker Justice supports the U.S. President- elect’s nominations of Civil Rights Experts to the Department of Justice

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Farmworker Justice supports President-elect Biden’s selections for leadership of the Department of Justice.  Biden has nominated a centrist with extensive experience in selecting Merrick Garland to be the next Attorney General. It is encouraging that Biden also plans to place Vanita Gupta, head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, … Read more As the country survives an attempted overthrow of our democracy, Farmworker Justice supports the U.S. President- elect’s nominations of Civil Rights Experts to the Department of Justice