Courtesy image.
SANTA MARIA — Alianza Campesina de la Costa Central (Alianza Campesina) held a press conference to release a report titled “Harvesting Dignity: The Case for a Living Wage for Farmworkers,” that not only sheds light on the realities surrounding the pay farmworkers receive and their workplace conditions but also underscores the pressing necessity for farmworkers to be justly compensated for their arduous labor.
The report starkly reveals the wage disparity. In 2023, “the mean hourly wage for farmworkers in Santa Barbara County was just $17.42 or $36,244 annually.” This is compared to heavy truck drivers, who received a median hourly wage of $26.76, translating to an annual wage of $55,672. At the same time, construction laborers earned a median hourly wage of $25.04, resulting in an annual wage of $52,104, according to the California Employment Development Department.
“In recent years, the increase in rent has been an issue that has affected me and my family. A better salary would give me access to better housing conditions and would also help me pay my rent, which continues to increase. A raise would also give me access to healthier meals for my family, and help us reap the rewards of my work,” said Matilde, Farmworker Leader with Alianza Campesina.
The wage discrepancy between labor-intensive industries that all share high rates of workplace injury and mortality points to the historic lack of inclusion of farmworkers in labor unions as well as racial segregation of the agricultural workforce.
“Occupational death rates in farm work are consistently much higher than comparable jobs, with 23.5 fatal injuries per 100,000 workers in 2022 compared to 14.6 fatalities in truck driving and 13.0 in construction,” said Erica Diaz-Cervantes, Senior Policy Advocate at CAUSE.
The research also shows that a typical box of strawberries costs consumers $2-$6 at the grocery store, depending on seasonal variation and organic status, and only approximately 28 cents goes to the workers who harvested them.
“Many farmworkers cannot afford the basic cost of necessities such as adequate housing, healthcare, childcare, and food, especially with the increasing cost of living for cities along California’s Central Coast,” said Arcenio Lopez, Executive Director of the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP).
Furthermore, the report makes the case that raising wages is necessary for the industry’s sustainability. Agribusiness is struggling to attract workers as the farmworker population ages, with increasing economic opportunities in Mexico and lower birth rates leading to declining immigration, and many longtime farmworkers leave the industry for other sectors with higher pay and safer working conditions.
“If major corporate distributors like Driscoll’s who dominate the berry market paid slightly more to their suppliers, farmworkers could be paid a living wage with little impact to the final consumer price of fresh produce,” said Hazel Davalos, Co-Executive Director of the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE).
Alianza Campesina comprises local non-profits, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), and the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), which have advocated for marginalized farm workers across California’s Central Coast.
Through the formation of Alianza Campesina and the release of this study, advocates plan to support workers who are organizing for livable wages, particularly in the Santa Maria Valley, which has seen hundreds of farmworkers strike for higher pay in recent years.
“Many agricultural corporations are already paying more than the cost of providing livable wages to their workers in order to supplement their workforce with the expensive H-2A temporary worker visa program,” said Lucas Zucker, Co-Executive Director of CAUSE.
All people deserve a living wage so that they can have a roof over their heads, food on their children’s table, and care for their bodies and minds. Farmworkers provide for the world yet can barely provide for their own families on their low wages. A liveable wage for farmworkers is the only path forward for the future agricultural industry and the Central Coast.
About MICOP — The Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) aims to support, organize, and empower the indigenous migrant communities in California’s Central Coast. We operate over 20 programs across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, offering a range of social service and community organizing programs, Indigenous Language Interpretation Services (ILIS), and Radio Indigena 94.1 FM. For more information, please visit mixteco.org
About CAUSE — Central Coast United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) is a base-building organization committed to social, economic, and environmental justice for working-class and immigrant communities throughout California’s Central Coast. CAUSE builds grassroots power through community organizing, leadership development, coalition building, civic engagement, policy research, and advocacy. causenow.org
Alianza Campesina de la Costa Central (Alianza Campesina) is a partnership between Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) and the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP). Alianza Campesina works with farm workers across the Central Coast to organize and advocate for workers’ rights and improved working conditions.