Justice in Action: NJP’s Outreach Workers Champion Farm Workers’ Rights
The Northwest Justice Project's (NJP) Farmworker Unit, based in Yakima, provides legal advice and representation to farmworkers and their families across Washington state. At the heart of the unit is its outreach program. In 2011, Alex Galarza became the sole outreach worker; today he heads a team of four who crucially connect farmworker communities with NJP legal advocates across the state.
Together, outreach workers and legal advocates work to ensure that farm workers are afforded a full range of legal protections, focusing on workplace health and safety, discrimination, wage theft, H-2A program protections, human trafficking, and equal access to state and federal programs.
Alex Galarza: From Fields to Advocacy
Galarza brings a deeply personal perspective to his work. Born into a family of farm workers in Washington's Yakima Valley, he experienced firsthand the challenges farmworkers face. "I remember working in the fields from 5:00 to 7:00AM, before the school day started. It's how we bought school clothes," he recalls. "We would all work together as a family, but we would only get one paycheck. The kids weren't considered employees."
Galarza’s background has proven invaluable to building trust with the community and to shaping the outreach team. "I know what the farmworkers I meet are going through, and hear first-hand of their needs," he explains.
Outreach workers are the eyes and ears of the Farmworker Unit, and Galarza’s cell phone is the hotline farm workers call when they need legal help.
The team participates in outreach twice a week. “We can't disturb the workplace, so two outreach workers go together when folks are at home resting,” he explains. “Yesterday we visited four camps in Wapato and Harrah. Each camp has at least 100 workers."
Spanish-language outreach is critical, allowing the team to communicate effectively and build trust within the predominantly Spanish-speaking farmworker communities.
Current Challenges: The Rise of H-2A Workers
One of the most pressing issues facing the Farmworker Unit is the dramatic increase in temporary agricultural workers with H-2A visas. Galarza explains, "There were about 6,000 H-2A workers in the state in 2007-8. Last year it was about 36,000." This increase is having far-reaching consequences.
The H-2A workers are subject to extreme forms of exploitation, as growers control nearly every aspect of their lives, both on and off the job. "Growers control housing, transportation to housing, access to food, transport to grocery stores, and access to health care," Galarza says.
The H-2A program here has also introduced new forms of discrimination, with a stark gender disparity in hiring practices. "About 99% of the H-2A workers are men. Fewer than 100 are women.”
In addition, the rapid growth of the H-2A program is displacing local and migrant seasonal workers, with families dependent on these jobs no longer getting the same opportunities. This is challenging the ability of families to meet their basic needs, including for housing, with access to legal aid more important than ever.
Making a Difference
The Farmworker Unit's legal advocacy has led to significant victories for agricultural workers, Including:
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In July 2020, a group of seven H-2A workers represented by NJP reached a $240,000 settlement agreement on their claims of labor trafficking and unfair working conditions. The employers had recruited the workers from Mexico by promising them reimbursement for all travel costs, good pay, and free and adequate housing and transportation. In their lawsuit, the workers successfully claimed the employers subjected them to labor trafficking by using a pattern of threats, intimidation, and unpaid wages to force them to provide labor under coercion and in violation of the H-2A regulations and job contract.
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Five workers reached a $265,000 settlement with a fruit packing warehouse. The workers had been fired after campaigning to improve working conditions such as the inability to use sick leave, excessive work hours, restricted use of the bathroom, verbal abuse by supervisors, and failure to treat work injuries. The women filed a joint lawsuit in Yakima Superior Court, asserting their right to organize to improve working conditions. The settlement also stipulated that the company change its policies and inform workers of their rights.
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In a recent case, the farm work unit assisted dozens of workers who came to their office seeking help in applying for work permits under the Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement (DALE) program.
The Importance of Advocacy and Outreach
Galarza emphasizes the critical role of outreach in advocating for farmworkers: "It amazes me that people don't realize what's happening in these communities. Farmworkers are important; they put food on our tables. Washington's farmworkers provide as much economic resources to our state as do the workers at large companies like Microsoft and Boeing."
Through the outreach team’s persistent efforts to visit labor camps, provide education on legal rights, and build trust within farmworker communities, it serves as a crucial bridge between farmworkers and the legal resources they need. The team is an indispensable part of the Farmworker Unit's mission to protect and promote the rights and well-being of all agricultural workers in Washington.
This article is published with deep gratitude and appreciation for the outreach workers of NJP’s Farmworker Unit “La Unidad Campesina de NJP”: Alex Galarza, Mariana Garcia, and Madeline Joyce. Keep a lookout for opportunities to join the team! Careers at Northwest Justice Project | Northwest Justice Project (nwjustice.org)