The U.S. Department of Labor observed National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW) from March 26 to April 2 to honor laborers in the agricultural industry and push for better working conditions for these essential workers.
DOL's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) used the week to provide information to the country's agricultural employers, workers and farm-labor contractors on federal employment laws and enforcement, the DOL reported in its NFAW announcement on March 28. Educational opportunities included a virtual seminar and regional events, according to the DOL.
"Despite their critical role in the economy," the DOL reports in the announcement, "farmworkers too often face unpaid wages, unsafe transportation to and from worksites, and substandard housing conditions."
The seminar “Nourishing Equity and Cultivating Compliance” examined Fair Labor Standards Act provisions on agriculture and child labor, the Migrant and Seasonal Worker Protection Act, and H-2A and Field Sanitation requirements. Equity, retaliation and human trafficking in the agricultural industry were also discussed, according to the DOL. Regional WHD offices hosted outreach events to support the seminar, DOL reports.
WHD also shared information on its support services for workers, such as resources to combat retaliation for exercising their rights and commitments to combat labor trafficking. WHD reports it recovered $8.4 million in back wages for more than 10,000 workers in 2021.
“National Farmworker Awareness Week should remind all of us of the essential role these workers play in feeding us, our families and our communities,” Jessica Looman, acting WHD Administrator, said in the announcement. “It also serves to inspire us to expand our outreach and strengthen our enforcement efforts to ensure all agricultural workers receive the wages they are due and are protected from retaliation for exercising their rights.”
