California’s farm fields can be threatening places for agriculture workers. But a new law going into effect next year is designed to make those fields a bit safer. As part of our annual new law series, Katie Orr reports from Sacramento.
The law will require farm labor contractors to provide all supervisors, foremen and employees with sexual harassment training. Democratic Senator Bill Monning authored the bill. He says there’s an epidemic of harassment and assault of California farm workers.
Monning: “Unfortunately one of the last vestiges in this state of unprotected workplaces has been in farm labor, where workers are often immigrants. They may not have fully legal status. They’re subject to certain leverage that maybe other members of the workforce aren’t.”
Monning says many farm workers are dependent on their supervisors for rides to remote work locations. He says this makes them vulnerable to harassment or assault. He says the training will inform workers of their rights.