SANTA MARIA – Alianza Campesina (on April 8) held a press conference to unveil new statewide research. The report builds on years of organizing led by Central Coast farmworkers fighting for living wages and safer, more dignified workplaces.
“Just a week ago, California took a step in the right direction, identifying March 31st as Farmworker Day, but now that everyone has collectively recognized the importance of celebrating farmworkers across the state, we need to follow up with action because farmworkers need more than just celebration. They need a living wage, and that is why we are gathered here today, to demonstrate that implementing a living wage is viable and is long overdue,” Erica Diaz Cervantes, Associate Policy Director with CAUSE.
Farmworkers power a $60 billion agricultural industry, yet hundreds of thousands are still paid wages that fall below living standards that harm their health, their families, and their communities.
A new report produced by Health in Partnership, Beyond the Cycle of Survival: Wages, Health, and Justice for Farmworkers, brings together worker voices, organizers, and public health experts to expose the real cost of low wages. Based on farmworker interviews and statewide data, the report shows that low pay isn’t just an economic issue – it’s a public health crisis.
Across California, farmworkers earn around $17 an hour on average – far below what families need to survive. Meanwhile, the industry generates billions in profit, showing that higher wages are possible.
The report finds that wages that do not meet basic living needs are directly linked to higher rates of illness, stress, and poor health outcomes for farmworkers and their children. Parents are forced to choose between making ends meet and spending time with their families. Women and Indigenous workers face even deeper wage gaps and inequities.
“A living wage is not a luxury; it is a necessity for many of us like myself. It’s going to mean we can provide stability for our families. Being able to have access to basic needs, services, and a better and more dignified life for our families. Without our work, the agriculture industry would be nonexistent, and that’s why we deserve a fair and living wage,” said Alejandra, farmworker leader with Alianza Campesina.
Farmworkers are clear: this structure is not working. Inadequate wages are part of a long history of exclusion and injustice – and it’s time for change.
Raising wages would improve health, strengthen local economies, and build a more just and sustainable Central Coast and California – with only minimal impact on consumer prices.
“Improving wages is not some unrealistic demand; it’s a practical step forward. We know that moving towards a $26 an hour wage can increase life expectancy, improve health outcomes, and reduce infant mortality. We need to move forward with the formal integration of policies that recognize farmworkers’ contributions.” Fernando Martinez, Community Organizing Manager with the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project.
At a time of growing economic pressure, increased reliance on temporary labor, and rising fear in farmworker communities, the report calls on elected leaders and industry to act now.
Health in Partnership (HIP) transforms the field of public health to center equity and builds collective power with social justice movements.
Alianza Campesina de la Costa Central is a coalition of farmworkers and advocates, in partnership with CAUSE and MICOP, organizing for fair wages and dignified working conditions across California’s Central Coast.
Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) aims to support, organize, and empower the indigenous migrant communities in California’s Central Coast.
Central Coast Alliance 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.
Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO) was created by and for Indigenous communities in rural California to organize and make sure our communities’ culture, languages, and knowledge are recognized and respected by the systems and institutions that impact our lives.
North Bay Jobs with Justice (NBJwJ) is a grassroots base-building coalition composed of 30+ labor and community organizations in Sonoma, Napa, and Marin Counties. Primarily organizing with Farmworkers in the wine industry, our fight centers the voices and leadership of working migrant families, at the frontlines of social, economic, and climate crises.
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