Throwing Shade

“When they feel the effects of heat illness coming on, they have the right to cool down in the shade. Sunripe Certified Brands, the company that owns the farm, must provide clean water, shaded rest areas and nearby bathrooms for all of its workers.” Water, shade, rest. These would seem to be miniumum requirements for farmworkers toiling in an increasingly warm world. But don’t bet the farm on that. These are unique, hard won worker rights. WaPo (Gift Article): These farmworkers created America’s strongest workplace heat rules. “Every year, the organization sends auditors to participating farms, where they interview at least half the workers about labor conditions. So far, organizers say they’ve done more than 30,000 interviews. Auditors also check companies’ payroll records for evidence of wage theft. That’s more oversight than most government regulators can manage.”