|  | | |  | National Farmworker Awareness Week Begins | Monday March 25th, 2024, marked the beginning of AFOP’s favorite time of year: National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW)! NFAW is a chance for us all to stop and reflect on the importance of farmworkers, something that can never be overstated. | |
| To benefit and honor them, AFOP is again hosting our annual National Long Sleeve Shirt Drive during NFAW. Beginning on Sunday, March 24th, and ending on Sunday, March 31st, you can donate any new or gently used long-sleeved shirts at 252 drop-off locations in 38 states. Our partners will distribute the shirts as a thank you to farmworkers, empowering them to better protect themselves from the sun’s ultraviolet rays as well as from harmful pesticides. |
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| |  |  | Activist Dolores Huerta Salutes Women and Farmworkers in EPA Broadcast Honoring NFAW and Woman’s History Month | At the invitation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, longtime farmworker and human rights activist Dolores Huerta on March 25 addressed the importance of farmworkers and women to the future of the nation and the world.
Ms. Huerta remains an inspiration and has issued a “call to arms” for all people wanting to help farmworkers advance. | |
|  | USDA to Again Salute Chavez’s Birthday | In honor of César Chávez Day, the United States Department of Agriculture will celebrate farmworkers with a special event on Thursday, March 28th, and has invited the public to join either on Zoom or in-person on the Whitten Patio at USDA headquarters in Washington, DC.
USDA said in a statement: “This is a conversation about the history of farmworkers and the legacy of César Chávez. Seize this opportunity to be a part of a meaningful conversation and hear from Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small.” | |
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| |  | During NFAW Only: Watch “The Harvest (La Cosecha)” for Free | Shine Global is screening “The Harvest (La Cosecha)” for free online for National Farmworker Awareness Week, March 25-31. This feature-length documentary chronicles the lives of three farmworker children as they travel across the U.S. with their families, harvesting several crops.
A powerful and moving film, the Harvest/La Cosecha was directed by the late Robin Romano. The executive producer was Eva Longoria.
Audiences can register at this link to watch the film at any point during the week to learn more about the conditions for farmworker children and why they urgently need to be protected. | | | Inside DOL | |  | DOL Issues NFJP FOA, Encourages Applicants to Write to the Announcement’s Specifics | DOL released the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the next round of four-year NFJP grants on March 5, 2024. The department has earlier stressed the importance of carefully reading the FOA and thoroughly writing applications in response to it. Applications are due May 3, 2024, and the results will be announced sometime around July 1, 2024.
DOL expects to soon announce its plan to award approximately $6 million in NFJP Housing grants.
Grantees should submit their questions regarding the FOA to the NFJP Grants mailbox at nfjp.ogm@dol.gov and include “FOA-ETA-24-15” and the submitter’s name and phone number in the body of the email. Submitters should cc: AFOP’s Director of Workforce Development, Kendra Moesle, so she can help track your question and make sure it gets to resolution. | | | DOL Announces Winners of PY2023 NFJP Youth Grants | On January 26th, DOL announced the winners of the supplemental MSFW Youth funding. The PY2023 grant recipients are as follows:
Rural Employment Opportunities, Inc. (Montana) - $41,874 PathStone Corporation (Puerto Rico) - $294,442 PathStone Corporation (New York) - $294,442 PathStone Corporation (Ohio) - $294,442
Congratulations to PathStone and REO! | | | Inside AFOP | |  | AFOP Endorses Legislation to Improve Child Protections and Safety Standards for Agriculture | On March 21, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment in Agriculture (CARE) Act to ensure child protections and safety standards for children in the agricultural workforce. AFOP formally endorsed the legislation, along with 44 other organizations.
“The impact of the exemptions on farmworker children educationally is very harmful and their health is at great risk from agricultural dangers. We’re so happy Senator Luján has taken action to right our inadequate child labor laws,” said Reid Maki, Director of the Child Labor Coalition, to which AFOP belongs. | |
|  | AFOP to Announce CIFC Contest April 1 | It’s no April Fool’s Joke! AFOP’s Children in the Fields Campaign (CIFC) will announce the 2024 contest theme for its annual Farmworker Children Art & Essay Contest on April 1st at 1:00pm ET.
The contest is open to all migrant or seasonal farmworker children in the United States. The farmworker child must be between the ages of 10 to 18 years old by July 15th, 2024.
Follow CIFC on Instagram or Facebook for the live announcement. Once the theme is announced, contest guidelines and the application can be found on the AFOP website. | | |
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| |  | Call for Proposals! AFOP Seeking Workforce Development Trainer to Upskill Member Staff | AFOP is seeking a new trainer to provide workforce development and/or professional development training to AFOP member staff through the AFOP Training Institute (ATI). The 2024 ATI training year will launch this September at the AFOP National Conference in Las Vegas.
If you have a workforce trainer to recommend, send his or her name and contact information to AFOP Director of Workforce Development Kendra Moesle at kmoesle@afop.org. AFOP will invite him or her to respond to its Request for Proposals (RFP).
The deadline to submit a proposal is April 22, 2024. | |
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| | Members’ Corner | | OIC of Washington Launches Daughter of Farmworker into a New Teaching Career |  | Gabriela grew up in rural eastern Washington. Her farmworker mother always aspired to a brighter future for her, encouraging Gabriela to pursue education beyond high school.
Gabriela, too, sought to break the cycle of poverty, and she hoped to do so through a career in education. Her ultimate goal was to become a teacher. After enrolling in university, however, she realized that all her determination and personal resources wouldn’t get her to the finish line. |
| Gabriela wisely sought assistance from OIC of Washington, who came through for Gabriela in a big way, assisting her with tuition, testing fees, and housing costs, coupled with job search preparation.
With the support of OIC NFJP, Gabriela successfully navigated the challenges associated with balancing education and financial constraints.
Soon, Gabriela graduated with a teaching degree and secured a position as a fourth-grade teacher at a local school district. Gabriela's first month on the job saw her earning twice the amount she had earned in the entire year prior to her enrollment in NFJP.
Congratulations to Gabriela for reaching her goal! |
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| |  | Proteus, Inc. Leaders Visit Nebraska Statehouse to Accept Resolution Declaring Farmworker Awareness Week | Leaders from Proteus, Inc. visited the Nebraska Statehouse on March 18 to accept a proclamation from Governor Jim Pillen declaring March 25-31 National Farmworker Awareness Week. The resolution, delivered by the Governor, highlights the invaluable contributions of farmworkers in Nebraska.
In a symbolic gesture of solidarity, Jody Stutzman and Jennifer Lewis, regional directors at Proteus, Inc. accepted the resolution on behalf of the farmworkers they work to support every day. Dr. Daniel Zinnel, CEO of Proteus, Inc., expressed his gratitude for the collaboration with state governments in raising awareness about the vital role of farmworkers. He remarked, "It is truly wonderful to partner with our state governments to elevate the awareness of the needs and importance of farmworkers to our collective well-being and state vitality." | | |  | California Directs Federal Funding to La Cooperativa to Serve Farmworkers Affected by Lay-offs | California’s state workforce agency, the Employment Development Department (EDD), has awarded nonprofit La Cooperativa Campesina de California (La Cooperativa) $7 million to help support farmworkers impacted by mass layoffs across the state. La Cooperativa said that a sizable amount will be directed to Proteus, Inc.
With the EDD award, La Cooperativa will provide outreach to farmworkers laid off from Prima Wawona as well as Campbell Soup Supply, Kern Vineyards, Pak ‘N Save, Foster Farms, Silgan Containers, Mariani Nut Company, TriMas, Kings Garden Inc., Premium Services and more.
La Cooperativa Executive Director Marco Lizarraga said the nonprofit receives these awards because there is a “continuous dislocation of farmworkers throughout the state.” By promoting job training and other assistance to farmworkers where they live, the organization can help people gain stability in their lives.
Congratulations to La Coop and Proteus! | |
|  | A Message from CEO Debbie Cabebe on the Passing of Gladys Baisa, MEO Chief Executive from 1983-2005 | Gladys Baisa, long-time MEO chief executive, passed away on March 11th, 2024, at the age of 83. CEO Debbie Cabebe shared a moving tribute to her in a statement on MEO’s Facebook page: “She was a true trailblazer, advocate for low income, disadvantaged, and seniors, and she was a role model for women leaders. Gladys dedicated a good portion of her life to MEO and many of the programs that we administer today were started under her leadership.”
In a personal note, Debbie added, “She was tough as nails and soft as cotton. She fought for and inspired many. I owe her so much.” | |
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| | Farmworker Health & Safety | |  | Florida Bill Aims to Ban Local Mandates for Heat Protections | As reported in numerous media outlets, including ConstructionDive, the Florida state Senate on March 7th passed new legislation banning local governments in Florida from mandating heat exposure protections for workers. The bill is now on the desk of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will need to sign it within a year for it to become law.
House Bill 433 prohibits localities in the Sunshine State from mandating these protections, such as providing workers with water, rest, and shade.
Should DeSantis sign it, effective July 1, counties and cities in Florida will not be able to require employers to have any type of mitigations to extreme heat, even for outdoor workers in construction and agriculture. | | | NC Farm Where Worker Died Cited for OSHA Violations, Ordered to Pay Fine | A Nash County sweet potato farm has been fined over $187,000 following the death of one of its workers last year, the News & Observer reported. The NC Department of Labor began an inspection of state Occupational Safety and Health standards on Sept. 6, 2023 after José Alberto Gonzalez Mendoza died. The 30-year-old had passed out from apparent heat exhaustion while picking sweet potatoes the day before.
The OSHA citation and penalty documents detail that the alleged “willful serious” violation was due to the following reasons:
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The family of North Carolina Sen. Lisa Barnes, a Nash County Republican, owns and operates the company. Its president is her husband, Johnny Barnes. Through an attorney, the company said that it plans to appeal the citations. |
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| | | Performance Reporting | |  | WIPS is Moving to a New Internet Address | The Workforce Integrated Performance System (WIPS) is moving to a new URL before the next reporting deadline. Ashley Rodriguez shared during February’s Performance Reporting Office Hours that the new URL is https://entbpmp.dol.gov/suite/sites/wips. The changeover is planned to take place during the weekend of April 13th and 14th, 2024.
DOL warned that the link on the Login.gov ‘Your Connected Accounts’ page will not update automatically, and that the current WIPS link is not yet set to redirect to the new site, but instead will result in a “404 – Page Not Found” error. | |
|  | DOL Finalizes Last WIOA Performance Indicator | It’s official! USDOL has finally defined the sixth performance indicator— Effectiveness in Serving Employers— as retention with the same employer in the second and fourth quarters following a participant’s exit. It goes into effect on March 25th, 2024. WIOA core programs must start collecting data for this indicator starting July 1, 2024.
Fortunately, NFJP is ahead of the game, having been required to collect data for this performance indicator, along with other non-core programs, since 2019. DOL stated that the same reporting requirements for non-core programs will be in effect as before.
NFJP grantees should expect DOL to establish targets and update guidance regarding use of supplemental wage information specifically for this indicator, soon. | |
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| |  | USDOL Provides Technical Assistance on “Reducing Administrative Barriers” | In recent weeks, officials in the Employment & Training Administration have provided technical assistance to NFJP grantees and other workforce development providers on “Reducing Administrative Barriers to Improve Customer Experience.” In a webinar on March 13th, DOL presenters mentioned that some grantees’ management information systems require various elements that are not mandated by the Department, e.g. social security numbers or work authorization. Grantees might also not be incorporating the option “did not identify” in their systems, which would simplify the intake process.
As stated in TEGL 23-19 Change 2, NFJP grantees are required to ask for a social security number (SSN), however they cannot refuse services if the individual does not wish to disclose his or her SSN. TEGL No.10-23 also clarifies that proof of work authorization is not required for certain basic career services. NFJP grantees can provide these services to eligible farmworkers and their dependents with NFJP dollars without verifying work authorization, provided that grantees include these individuals in their performance metrics. | | | Additional Funding Opportunities | |  | EPA Announces $2 Billion in Available Grants | On February 21, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of approximately $2 billion dollars in funds for environmental and climate justice activities that benefit disadvantaged communities. These grants will fund projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. Non-profits, local governments, and colleges are among the eligible applicants. | | | What We’re Reading | |  | The IRS Opens Up Direct File for Individuals in Certain States | According to the Center for the Study of Social Policy, certain people will be able to file their taxes free directly with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) this year, as part of a pilot program to provide taxpayers a free, high-quality alternative to paid tax preparation businesses. This type of simplified, easy-to-use tax filing tool is crucial for families to be able to access and keep the refunds and tax credits they are owed. | | |  | The Affordable Care Act Radically Expands Coverage in its First Decade | The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is turning 14! According to the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, the ACA radically expanded eligibility for affordable health coverage in two main ways:
by creating health insurance marketplaces with federal financial assistance that reduces premiums and deductibles, and by allowing states to expand Medicaid to adults with household incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
Both of these coverage expansions took effect in 2014. As of January 2024, 21.3 million people have selected an ACA marketplace plan for 2024, and 40 states and the District of Columbia have expanded Medicaid. The number of people who are uninsured has dropped from 45.2 million in 2013 to 26.4 million in 2022, a historic decline. | | | | | |
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