John,

Farmworkers across the United States who grow, pick and pack the food that ends up on our grocery store shelves are vulnerable and need additional health and safety measures to protect them from being infected by, and spreading, the coronavirus.¹

Our farmworkers have been deemed “essential” workers during the coronavirus pandemic, but they are not receiving some basic protections to keep them safe. In many cases, farmworkers throughout our country live in cramped employer-provided housing, are transported in buses to and from worksites every day, and do not have enough facilities to wash their wands. They are often unable to maintain social distancing requirements and they are not issued sufficient personal protective equipment (PPEs).

That must change. It’s critical that Congress protect farmworkers and in turn protect our food supply!

Add your name! Join the Coalition on Human Needs and our allies in demanding Congress protect our farmworkers and our food supply during the pandemic.

If we allow our farmworkers to be in danger and our food chain to become vulnerable during this public health crisis, stores will have difficulty getting the produce they need, and millions of Americans could be forced to suffer food shortages.

Already, we’re seeing major food processing plants across the country closing, with the chairman of Tyson foods saying that “the food supply chain is breaking.”² If we don’t immediately protect our farmworkers, we could see an even greater strain on our food supply.

SIGN NOW! Together, let's join with our allies across the country and demand our farmworkers receive critical protections and fair pay!

Despite the important and essential work they do, farmworkers throughout the United States are paid very low wages, earning less than workers without a high school degree and only earning two-fifths of what comparable workers outside of agriculture earn. Their importance to our society is clearly beyond what they are paid.

Congress has already passed several rounds of COVID-19 legislation. Too much of the aid, however, is dedicated to bailing out corporations and wealthy business owners without providing enough funding to laid-off workers, healthcare providers, and communities in need. We need Congress to focus on the needs of vulnerable workers, like America's farmworkers.

Together, let's demand legislation to protect farmworkers and ensure our food chain is not threatened during the pandemic.

Thank you,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs