Who Works the Fields? The Stories of Americans Who Feed Us

Who Works the Fields The Stories of Americans Who Feed Us

This report offers a sampling of stories from both U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents on farms. Although a majority of farmworkers today are undocumented immigrants, there are hundreds of thousands of legally authorized U.S. workers in the agricultural labor force.
 

Unfinished Harvest: The Agricultural Worker Protection Act at 30

Unfinished Harvest The Agricultural Worker Protection Act at 30

In 1983, Congress passed the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (AWPA). To mark the thirtieth anniversary of its enactment, we examined its impact on farmworkers. The AWPA has made a difference in the lives of many farmworkers, but in order to reduce abusive practices that harm farmworkers and undermine the agricultural sector of our economy, improvements must be made with regard to enforcement, implementation, and the law itself.
 

U.S. Department of Labor Enforcement in Agriculture: More Must be Done to Protect Farmworkers

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This 2015 report analyzes the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) statistics on its enforcement of the minimum wage and other basic labor protections applicable to agricultural workers on farms, ranches, and dairies. Widespread violations of the minimum wage and other wage-hour laws in agriculture harm farmworkers, as well as the many law-abiding businesses suffering competitive disadvantage caused by unscrupulous employers.