'There’s no prevention, and we keep working.” California's farmworkers are keeping grocery stores stocked, but many worry about catching the coronavirus in conditions that often don't allow for much social distancing or hand-washing.
In this March 24, 2020, photo, farmworkers keep their distance from each other as they work at the Heringer Estates Family Vineyards and Winery in Clarksburg, Calif. Farms continue to operate as essential businesses that supply food to California and much of the country as schools, restaurants and stores shutter over the coronavirus. But some workers are anxious about the virus spreading among them and their families.
More than a third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts are grown in California, whose farms and ranches brought in nearly $50 billion in 2018, according to the state Department of Agriculture. United Farm Workers is using the moment to push for longstanding requests, including removing the need for a doctor’s note and other hurdles to getting sick pay. In a letter to the agriculture industry, the union said workers should be able to wash their hands frequently and be encouraged to stay home if they are sick.
“One of the biggest changes is just in the training and education,” he said, including encouraging workers to keep a safe distance from each other, even on breaks. “Partly for personal safety, but it’s also for, ‘Hey, we’re feeding the nation. We’re creating food the nation needs right now.’” Leti Martinez, who picks mandarin oranges, said her employer told her little about the virus except to explain that the farm is allowed to keep operating. The 31-year-old said she wears gloves to prevent her hands from getting cut and wraps a cloth around her face to keep out the dust. But she is worried about her commute with other workers and said they sometimes face a shortage of running water in the bathrooms once they’re there.
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