New Fund Allows Agricultural Workers to Choose Safety When Dangerous Heat and Smoke Strike
Agricultural workers can reach out to community organizations for assistance if unsafe conditions prevent them from working
Farmworkers working in unsafe air quality conditions. Many workers in the photo are working without proper personal protective equipment to protect from particulate matter in wildfire smoke. Photo Credit: Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN). PCUN is the largest Latino union in the state of Oregon.
by Alex Mensing
Until today, many agricultural workers in Oregon had no choice but to work in dangerous smoke and deadly heat. Oregon Worker Relief is announcing the launch of the first-ever Climate Change Fund for agricultural workers. When unsafe heat or smoke pollution prevent workers from being in the fields, they can apply to receive compensation from the Climate Change Fund.
Agricultural workers heading into the orchard to pick cherries in the early morning in the Columbia River Gorge. Photo Credit: Ernesto Mendez
“Low wages for agricultural workers in Oregon force many people to risk their lives rather than miss a paycheck,” said Kathy Keesee, Program Coordinator at Unete Center for Farm Worker Advocacy in Medford. “Last summer one worker lost his life, and I know others who are suffering long-term consequences from exposure to smoke. In southern Oregon we have seen 43 days over 90 degrees this summer and 20 of those days were over 100. Workers have had their hours reduced due to high heat and are struggling to make ends meet. With the drought we are facing in southern Oregon, agricultural employment is very limited. The Climate Change Fund will help our local agricultural workers relieve some of their hardship related to temperature extremes caused by climate change.”
The Climate Change Fund was created by the Oregon Legislature as part of a larger drought relief measure that also included $40 million for farmers. The funds are only available until June 2023. Workers are eligible for compensation for up to two weeks of work, or $1250, depending on their situation.
While this year the Gorge experienced a cooler and wetter summer, in past years smoke and heat have been a significant issue for agricultural workers. Photo Credit: Tom Peterson
"Agricultural workers are increasingly impacted by climate change through deadly heat waves, wildfires, and unhealthy air quality," said Ira Cuello-Martinez, Policy and Advocacy Director with PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworkers Union. “Being one of the lowest paid industries, agricultural workers do not have the option to stay home and must do arduous work in 90 plus degrees or wildfire smoke. Unfortunately, we know that employers are not consistently following OSHA’s recently adopted heat and smoke safety standards, and OSHA has no authority to order work stoppages in hazardous climate conditions. I believe the Climate Change Fund will help prevent tragedies by giving farmworkers a viable choice.”
In 2022, many locations around Oregon have broken and set high temperature records, including the number of days with a temperature of 90 degrees or higher. Under the Climate Change Fund, workers are eligible for compensation if the temperature at their worksite was 90 degrees or higher, or if the air quality was rated unhealthy, measuring above 150 AQI or above 100 AQI for sensitive groups.
AQI stands for Air Quality Index, a tool that measures air pollution like wildfire smoke. A large and growing body of research shows that exposure to air pollution causes long-term health conditions, including lung and heart disease. The Environmental Protection Agency and partners run the AirNow website that tracks and reports air quality around the country, and phone apps like AirNow, IQAir PurpleAir, and AirReport also offer real-time information for your location.
A clear day in the fields. Photo Credit: Tom Peterson
More than 100 community partners, including Seeding Justice, PCUN, Latino Network and Innovation Law Lab, came together to start Oregon Worker Relief in 2020. The groups seek to strengthen community resilience through an innovative new model of support—direct financial relief to immigrant Oregonians. So far, Oregon Worker Relief has provided over 45,000 immigrant Oregonians and their families with over $87 million in relief, allowing families to stay in their homes, put food on the table and make ends meet.
Anyone who thinks they may qualify can call 1-888-274-7292 from Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to apply, and people can find more information by visiting the Oregon Worker Relief website or following Oregon Worker Relief on Facebook.
