More pay for California farm workers promised in Democrat’s coronavirus proposal

California farm workers could get an extra $3 an hour and additional sick time during the coronavirus outbreak under emergency legislation announced on Wednesday by a Central Coast Democrat.

The proposal, Assembly Bill 2915, would expand paid sick leave from three days to two weeks and would authorize “supplemental hazard pay” so workers can cover increased health and child care costs during the COVID-19 outbreak, said Assemblyman Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, who wrote the bill.

Rivas, who grew up in farm worker housing, said agricultural laborers are “uniquely vulnerable” to COVID-19.

He said workers could easily get infected and then spread the illness on the crowded buses they take to the farm, or when they’re in the field working closely together or back at home living in “deplorable and substandard” conditions with several families to a unit.

“They’re unable to shelter in place, unable to quarantine, unable to follow the basic guidelines of social distancing,” Rivas said.

The legislation would apply to all workers regardless of immigration status, Rivas said, and aims to ensure the farm workers are healthy enough to keep California’s grocery stores fully stocked.

It’s unclear where the money to fund pay increases would come from, but Rivas said the bill will be tailored to the current COVID-19 crisis so “the cost will be manageable.”

The California Farm Bureau plans to watch the bill closely. It supports a tax credit Rivas is proposing in another bill to offset the costs of overtime.

“Clearly, farmers and ranchers are rightfully concerned with their ability to keep their employees safe and keep food flowing to the marketplace, while hoping they can still afford to pay their employees and creditors,” said Jim Houston, administrator of the California Farm Bureau Federation. “Any new costs, mandates or regulations could seriously harm farms and ranches that are simply struggling to survive right now.”

Rivas said he represents an estimated 100,000 agricultural and farm workers. So far, there has not been news of a widespread outbreak, but only isolated anecdotes of farm workers experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

“These undocumented immigrants work to the bone and these essential workers deserve a lot better,” Rivas said. “It’s a very inclusive effort to do something for the farm workers and the agricultural community in general.”

AB 2915 was already introduced this year to increase sexual harassment training for farm laborers. Rivas said he would use a process called “gut and amend” to revise the measure so it includes the hazard pay and sick leave extension.

The amendments would offer child care subsidies to counties, employers and private providers and would mandate personal protective equipment for the workers and funding for an outreach campaign provided in both English and Spanish.

Rivas’ proposal would also provide temporary housing for agricultural workers to “allow for appropriate social distancing,” according to a press release for the measure, and would authorize a survey to be taken of the housing conditions farm worker experience.

“Protecting our farm workers is especially important as they step up to the plate, placing themselves at risk, to feed our families and keep our food supply intact during this challenging time,” said Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, who worked on the bill with Rivas.

This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 6:15 AM with the headline "More pay for California farm workers promised in Democrat’s coronavirus proposal."