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Democratic lawmakers, Farmworker Justice and the Environmental Working Group are pushing for new federal protections for farm and food workers in the next coronavirus stimulus legislation.

With two minimum wage increases in the past year for Ontario growers and another likely for next year, higher costs for labor have slowed any expansion ideas, some say.

Though the H-2A guest worker program has helped soften the crisis, farm labor remains a top issues for Santa Maria growers.

Salinas, Calif.-based D’Arrigo Bros. of California signed a new contract with the United Farm Workers union that will cover more than 1,500 farm workers, according to a news release.

Just as immigration reform continues to elude lawmakers in Washington, D.C., a stable workforce continues to elude grower-shippers in California’s Salinas Valley.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act Dec. 11.

Fresh produce industry organizations are urging House members to approve the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019, which they are voting on Dec. 11.

U.S. representative Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., whose district includes Salinas and other fresh produce growing areas, has invited a farmworker as guest to the State of the Union address.

Germany may lose up to a third of its seasonal agricultural workers in the wake of reports that it has closed its borders with Bulgaria and Romania.

The Department of State is taking steps to reduce delays in the processing of H-2A workers caused by the COVID-19 crisis.