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From the Desk of the Executive Director
Daniel Sheehan, AFOP Executive Director
September 20, 2023
AFOP staff members have been hard at work for months now to organize and produce next week’s 2023 AFOP National Conference in sunny San Diego, California. A lot of effort goes into making the national conference happen. In addition to all AFOP members and the support they have provided, I want to thank the AFOP staff, especially AFOP Event Manager Naomi Romanchok and AFOP Workforce Development Director Kendra Moesle. Between them, they have coordinated closely with the AFOP Conference Committee, researched several potential city sites, negotiated with hotels, identified and lined up knowledgeable and compelling trainers, and handled the million little things that make up success. While I hope next week will appear effortless to attendees, you can know that a lot of work and a few tears (mine) has gone into making this production succeed. As I have said often and loudly, this conference is going to be one for the ages. It is near bursting with U.S. Labor Department speakers and timely NFJP-related information, effective trainings for staff, plenty of best practices sharing, and all-around good times. We look forward to seeing you and wish you the best for a very productive national conference. Thank you all, and Go Team!
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INSIDE THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
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AFOP Awarded OSHA Grant to Help Train and Educate Farmworkers
USDOL - OSHA
September 19, 2023
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has awarded approximately $12.7 million in grants to support education and training to help workers and employers recognize serious workplace hazards, employ injury prevention and understand workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities under federal law.
Funded through the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, the grants are being awarded in three categories, namely Targeted Topic Training, Training and Educational Materials Development and Capacity Building grants.
AFOP was one of over 100 non-profits awarded, receiving $160,000 to provide heat stress prevention training to migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the US.
Melanie Forti, Director of AFOP Health & Safety Programs, said, “AFOP Health & Safety is pleased to once again receive this grant from OSHA. It recognizes that we are a leader in training farmworkers how to stay healthy and safe in the fields.”
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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released a proposed rule to better protect farmworkers on H-2A visas against retaliation, add new protections for worker self-advocacy, make foreign labor recruitment more transparent, and enhance the department's enforcement.
The proposed rule would make new wage rates applicable immediately upon their publication in the Federal Register, rather than weeks later, to ensure that agriculture workers are paid the most up-to-date wages as soon as possible. Employers that fail to provide adequate notice to workers of a delay in their start date would have to pay workers the applicable rate for each day that work is delayed for up to 14 days.
The proposed rule, announced Sept. 12, would clarify that an employer terminates a worker only "for cause" when the worker either fails to meet pre-specified productivity standards or fails to comply with employer policies after the employer applies a system of progressive discipline. The proposal would establish six conditions to terminate a worker for cause, including that the employee has been informed of, or reasonably should have known, the employer's policy, rule, or productivity standards.
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New Resources from Workforce GPS
AFOP
September 14, 2023
AFOP would like to highlight the following new or updated resources on WorkforceGPS that are especially relevant to the AFOP community:
Want more? Simply navigate to the Agriculture Connection and enter “NFJP” into the search bar. If you are not yet on WorkforceGPS, you can register for a free account here.
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AFOP Announces Winners of the 2023 AFOP Excellence Awards
AFOP Press Release
September 14, 2023
The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP) announces the winners of the 2023 AFOP Excellence Awards. The AFOP Excellence Awards identify and honor farmworkers who demonstrate grit and determination in their quest to better their lives, as well as staff members and employers who have gone above and beyond in supporting customer success.
Migrant Farmworker – Odalis Diaz-Ramirez – California
Seasonal Farmworker – Luis Guillen – South Carolina
Agricultural Employer – American Implement – Kansas
Non-Agricultural Employer – Amazon Fulfillment Center – California
Staff Member – Ana Maria Olalde – Florida
AFOP will recognize these award winners at the 2023 AFOP National Conference in San Diego, California, during the AFOP Excellence Awards ceremony on Thursday, September 28.
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AFOP Joins Anti-Poverty Community Call for Timely and Responsible Federal Funding
AFOP
September 12, 2023
AFOP joined with hundreds of anti-poverty groups today in signing a letter that will go to congressional leaders urging them to quickly approve a patch for federal spending that expires at midnight September 30 and to work in a bipartisan fashion to finish their appropriations work by calendar year’s end. With a notable portion of the House of Representatives majority party opposing a “clean” continuing resolution, many in Washington are growing increasingly worried that a government shutdown is a real possibility. Here are excerpts from the letter:
“The undersigned organizations urge you to fulfill Congress’ most basic duty: to keep the government running. Congress must pass a clean bipartisan, bicameral continuing resolution (CR) including emergency funding that supports current services and addresses urgent needs and is free of poison pill policy riders that are harmful and irrelevant to the functions of government. Such a CR will ensure that federal programs continue to serve essential needs while Congress works in good faith to finish FY24 funding legislation needed to provide for a robust, stable economy and a secure nation by sufficiently supporting the vital services that help our communities thrive.”
“While nondefense appropriations are a small part of the federal budget, less than one-sixth, they fund a wide range of important programs and services that make America run. Examples include: assistance with housing and child care for low-income families, rural development, support for education and job training, scientific and medical research, medical care, veterans’ services, aging services, environmental protections so we can breathe clean air and drink clean water, substance use disorder and mental health treatment, infrastructure investments including sewage treatment, public transportation systems and safe roads, flood control and navigation improvements, diplomacy, humanitarian aid and development, courts and reentry programs, public safety programs, assistance for small businesses, and many other programs to strengthen our communities.”
Read the entire draft letter here.
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MEO, Inc.
August 14, 2023
Maui Economic Opportunity has started a fund to help place those who lost their homes in Maui fires into safe and secure housing as soon as possible.
Donations will be put toward rental assistance for those displaced. MEO and others have put out a call for available units in the community and have been assembling lists.
MEO has been serving the community for 58 years and has familiarity providing rental assistance for Maui County residents in need. MEO operates the county’s rental assistance program and ran federally funded rental and mortgage assistance programs during the pandemic.
Scan the QR Code above to donate. In the Write a Note section, include “MEO-Maui Fires Relief Fund.”
For more information, visit MEO’s website.
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UMOS Press Release
September 12, 2023
The UMOS Hispanic Awards In-Person Banquet is back! This year’s event will take place on October 20 in the grand ballroom at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.
This event is UMOS’ premier event of the year and one of the premier events in Milwaukee. As in the past, UMOS will honor the UMOS Hispanic Youth, Woman, Man and Family of the Year. We have no doubt that this year’s honorees will uphold the traditions, outstanding leadership qualities, and contributions to the community that the awards banquet has been built on.
For more information click here.
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AFOP
August 2, 2023
The Community Council of Idaho (CCI) recently celebrated 100 NFJP participants in a special ceremony called Graduation Night. It was the tenth such annual celebration they have held.
CCI Employment & Training Director Korene Gonzalez described Graduation Night as, “A special night where we gather all the students who can participate and celebrate their accomplishments … it is a joyous event both for the students and our staff.”
Ms. Gonzalez explained that CCI sets up a photo booth to allow graduates in their caps and gowns to take pictures with their family. The agency also feeds the audience and celebrates with a cake or cupcakes and a small parting gift for the graduate. “It truly is a sight to see,” she said, adding, “We also have them walk onto the stage with ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ playing. I will admit, a tear or two is shed!”
The celebration conveniently doubles as an outreach tool. “Staff also pitch the programs during the event and encourage the parents and friends in the audience, if they would like to participate in our program, [to] reach out to our staff,” Ms. Gonzalez said. “We network with the families and always find a student or two or three from the audience.”
Read Community Council of Idaho’s latest update here
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AFOP
September 14, 2023
Proteus (California) NFJP participant Ricardo earned his Class-A Driver’s License and now wants everyone to know that they can do it, too. He’s even taken his message to YouTube. “If you get your own truck and you get a driver for it, you are already able to make passive income,” Ricardo encourages his 1,000+ viewers on YouTube. “Think about it as a great opportunity where you could build wealth for yourself.”
Ricardo speaks from personal experience. Thanks to his Class-A license and the assistance he received from Proteus, Ricardo went from struggling to put food on the table to becoming a successful businessman in less than a year. “I’m 24 and I have accomplished so much for someone who a year ago didn’t have money to buy my daughter and baby boy a decent pair of clothes, or a decent meal,” he wrote in a letter to Proteus. “Those days are over… because I never gave up on myself and my family.”
Ricardo is thriving thanks in part to Proteus which lent him a helping hand. “I really owe a huge thank-you to Mayra Galvez and to Proteus because they ignited a spark in me that I wasn’t able to find in myself,” Ricardo said. “Without their help I don’t know where life would’ve taken me.”
Watch Ricardo’s channel here
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FARMWORKER HEALTH & SAFETY
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Extreme Heat is Forcing America's Farmers to Go Nocturnal; for Workers, It's a Mixed Bag
Washington Post
September 9, 2023
Heat-related ailments are serious threats in the summer to farmworkers, who have few legal protections from the deadly heat. Farmers say that working during the night reduces the risk of fainting and heat exhaustion.
But there are trade-offs with the cooler temperatures.
Overnight work upends workers’ lives, said José, a 34-year-old farmworker in Washington state who has picked fruit for the past 16 years, regularly at night for the last four.
“There’s days where you don’t see your kids because of the schedule,” José told The Washington Post through an interpreter. He spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of workplace reprisals.
It’s also common for farmers to tell their pickers to come into work with only an hour’s notice, even as late as 12 a.m., said José and other farmworkers, who similarly spoke on the condition of anonymity. The workers comply in fear of being left off future schedules.
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Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act Now in Effect
September 7, 2023
Pregnant and postpartum workers nationwide now have the right to get reasonable accommodations at work, absent undue hardship. AFOP signed a letter in support of this legislation back in March 2021.
A Better Balance, a national nonprofit advocacy organization, has made know-your-rights resources available online so that workers might:
- Understand the new law;
- Learn what kinds of workplace accommodations (like light duty, access to bathroom breaks, time off to recover from childbirth, and more) are covered by the law;
- Download sample letters to share with their boss if they need help requesting an accommodation;
- Download the guide "Talking to Your Boss About Your Bump"
View the Know-your-Rights Resources here
En español
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Children in the Fields Campaign
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2023 CIFC Art & Essay Contest Winners Announced
14-year-old Essay Write Wins Trip to Conference
AFOP
August 31, 2023
AFOP has announced the winners of this year’s CIFC Art & Essay Contest and drawn the winner of the grand prize. Emily Camacho, a 14-year-old essay writer from Washington State, has won an all-expenses-paid trip to San Diego, California, where she will attend AFOP’s national conference and share her story on a national stage. AFOP is very proud of her, the other prize winners, and all the entrants in this year’s contest. As always, everyone who entered is a winner!
Read and view the winning essays and artwork on CIFC’s Facebook page
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Hazardous child labor in the agriculture industry remains legal in all 50 states, and, sadly, we are not making progress. In fact, at least 14 states introduced legislation in the last two years to roll back child labor protections, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
In every other workplace, children have to be 16 to work full time and 18 to do hazardous work. Longstanding exemptions in US labor law allow children as young as 12 to work legally as hired laborers on commercial farms for unlimited hours with a parent’s permission, as long as they do not miss school. At 16, children working on farms can do tasks considered particularly hazardous. This legalized child labor has been tragically deadly for children, a harrowing warning for states considering eroding the protections that keep children safe at work.
“The US has a long way to go to bring its laws and policies into alignment with international children’s rights standards, but some states are making progress,” said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “State and national policymakers should take urgent action to ensure that all children are protected from child marriage, violent treatment, exploitative and dangerous work, and unjust and extreme sentences.”
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"She's Just a Bull": Meet the Woman Leading the GOP's Charge on School and Work
Politico
By Eleanor Mueller and Bianca Quilantan
August 18, 2023
Meet Congressman Virginia Foxx, who currently chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee. Now in her 18th year as a member of Congress, Rep. Foxx is the rare Republican to score an exception from her party’s term limits on committee chairships in Congress, entrusting her to lead on hot-button education and labor issues going into 2024.
“I feel like I’m in the right place at the right time,” said Foxx, who’s become one of the leading female voices on culture war issues when some of the loudest critics have been men, such as Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump.
Since taking the helm of the committee the governs NFJP and WIOA policy, she’s secured House passage for the GOP’s cornerstone education plan for a “Parent’s Bill of Rights,” a bill restricting transgender student athletes, and helped build the conservative case against President Joe Biden’s Labor secretary nominee, Julie Su.
“She’s just a bull, and she just charges in every day, nonstop, from sunup until way after the sun goes down,” former House Speaker John Boehner said in an interview.
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FAQs about Government Shutdowns
Congressional Progressive Caucus Center
By Catherine Rowland
July 21, 2023
With a potential government shutdown looming yet again, we wanted to share some shutdown FAQs with you.
Why does the government shut down?
The government shuts down when Congress fails to pass legislation known as "appropriations" bills, which fund federal agencies.
How long does a government shutdown last?
Shutdowns’ lengths vary, as they last until Congress passes and the President signs appropriations bills to fund the government. The 2018-2019 shutdown was the longest government shutdown in U.S. history at 35 days.
How many times has the government shut down?
To date, the U.S. government has shut down 21 times. Of these, only nine have lasted more than one week.
What has to happen to end a government shutdown once it starts?
Congress must pass and the President must sign appropriations bills to fund the departments and agencies that have shut down.
When could a shutdown happen next and how does the recent debt ceiling deal affect this?
Current government funding expires after September 30, 2023. Without new funding bills or a Continuing Resolution (CR), the government will shut down on October 1.
On June 3, 2023, President Biden signed legislation to suspend the debt ceiling until January 1, 2025. The deal reduces defense spending caps by one percent if Congress puts a CR in place rather than pass new appropriations bills by January 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025, respectively. This threat of further cuts could serve as an added incentive for Congress and the White House to reach an agreement on appropriations bills before 2023 ends.
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White House Cites New Poverty Figures to Push Renewal of Child Tax Credit
AFOP
September 12, 2023
The United States Census Bureau released today a report showing that child poverty in the United States more than doubled and median household income declined last year when coronavirus pandemic-era government benefits expired and inflation kept rising. In a statement, President Joe Biden blamed Congress for failing to extend the enhanced child tax credit and vowed to restore it. “The rise reported today in child poverty is no accident,” said the president.
Read the President's full statement here
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New York Times Opinion Piece Criticize Rolling Back Child Labor Laws
By Jessica Grose
August 9, 2023
Last week, a law went into effect in Arkansas that allows 14- and 15-year-olds to work without a permit signed by their parents. Titled the “Youth Hiring Act of 2023,” it states that the purpose of removing the permit requirement is to “restore decision-making to parents concerning their children” and “streamline the hiring process for children under 16 years of age.”
Earlier this year, a spokeswoman for the state’s governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), described the now defunct permit requirement as an “arbitrary burden on parents.” State Representative Rebecca Burkes (R), a sponsor of the new law, said, “This is simply about eliminating the bureaucracy that is required and taking away the parent’s decision about whether their child can work.”
Come on.
There was nothing onerous about the old requirement: It involved a simple one-page form for parents and guardians to sign off on before younger teenagers went to work — a bare minimum of bureaucracy.
And: Wouldn’t parents have more of a decision-making role, not less, if their explicit permission were required before their 14- and 15-year-olds could work up to 48 hours a week, six days a week?
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The AFOP Washington Newsline (ISSN# 1056-8565) is produced by the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), a national federation of agencies serving migrant and seasonal farmworkers. AFOP’s mission is to improve the quality of life for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families by promoting self-sufficiency through employment and training opportunities, educational attainment, and health and safety.
The publication is funded by subscriptions and the members of AFOP. The Washington Newsline receives no financial support from the federal government. Staff may be reached by calling (202) 963-3200.
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