the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Sep 30, 2024
This summer, temperatures consistently exceeded 105 degrees in California’s farm fields, exposing farm workers to heat-related illnesses. But workers report that companies routinely ignore safety measures against excessive heat. In a University of California study two years ago, one out of six farmworkers surveyed had said that employers never provided shade, water and breaks as prescribed by California’s outdoor work safety law. And when companies provide breaks, there is often not enough shade for all workers, and break areas and water may be hundreds of yards away, farmworkers told Capital & Main this year.
Faced with complaints from workers, California politicians are now proposing another law—which they say would make it easier for farm workers to file workers’ comp claims for heat-related illnesses. Workers know how difficult it is to actually get workers’ comp, but regardless, what good is another law when laws are not being enforced?