SANTA MARIA – On November 12, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors held a special hearing to discuss a county-wide living wage for farmworkers, drawing hundreds of community members who turned out in strong support of fair treatment and equitable pay.
“More than 300 farmworkers and their families gathered. Their presence, alongside allies and supporters, showcased a powerful demonstration of support for fair compensation and improved working conditions,” said Celina Ramirez, Organizer with CAUSE. “I was so impressed by the number of people who came out, united in one voice, to urge the county supervisors to improve farmworkers’ wages and address working conditions.”
During the height of the pandemic, farmworkers received recognition as essential workers because of their contributions to our communities’ health and stability. In response, workers began organizing to ensure their treatment reflected their essential contributions to our region, state, and nation.
“Alianza Campesina was born out of workers continuously performing strikes throughout 2019 – 2020,” Daniel Segura Esquivel explained during his presentation at the hearing. “Following several local strikes, workers organized themselves and decided that higher wages was the only solution to effectively address all of their lived needs. That is why today, we are calling for a $26/hour county wage ordinance for farmworkers.”
Farmworkers remain marginalized despite their status as essential. As a result, farmworkers continue their efforts through Alianza Campesina, in partnership with CAUSE (Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy) and MICOP (Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project), to demand real change.
Farmworkers on the Central Coast perform some of the most dangerous and deadly work in the nation, yet they continue to face extreme financial hardship, struggling to cover basic living expenses such as rent, food, and medical care. In 2023, this reality was underscored by the tragic deaths of two farmworkers while working in North County farms.
“Farmworkers risk their lives in any climate conditions, extreme heat, cold weather when it rains, or just as we witnessed last week with the Mountain wildfire in Ventura County, they are there working in smoke sometimes near the evacuation zones,” said Arcenio Lopez, Executive Director of the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project. He continued with, “companies get millions in crop insurance [during these extreme climate conditions and natural disasters while] workers get excluded from unemployment benefits.”
The hearing featured two panels, aimed at understanding the current state of farmworkers in Santa Barbara County. The first panel included representatives from Alianza Campesina to discuss the need for a living wage ordinance for farmworkers. Representatives of the Grower Shipper Association, the California Strawberry Commission, and Coastal Vineyard Care Associates were also present to discuss the impacts of the living wage ordinance. |