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Advocates Mark “Day of the Dead” Holiday with Simple Demand: No More Farmworker Deaths
In the tradition of the Mexican holiday “Día de los Muertos,” or Day of the Dead, we sponsored a midday press conference and evening social event on Tuesday, November 1st in downtown Raleigh to honor farmworkers and farmworker children who have died in the fields. The day’s activities raised awareness of the continued exploitation of farmworkers who live and work in hazardous, and in some cases – fatal, conditions. Representatives from religious, health, and nonprofit organizations will call on enforcement agencies to fulfill their obligations to protect workers and commit to preventing future tragedies.
Read the Associated Press story | Watch a short video from the press conferece
The Day of the Dead events occur in the wake of a high-profile complaint filed against the North Carolina Department of Labor last month by Legal Aid of North Carolina. The complaint outlines the state agency’s failure to address workplace safety violations, its inconsistency with classification of violations and issuance of fines on employers, and its lack of migrant housing inspections.
Farm and poultry work is some of the most difficult, most dangerous and most important work in our community. North Carolina is home to roughly 150,000 farmworkers and 28,000 poultry workers and their families. The vast majority of the fruits and vegetables and nearly all of the poultry we eat are picked or processed by hand. However, the people who feed our families through their hard work are often among the worst paid and least protected workers in our state.
The Farmworker Advocacy Network is a statewide network of organizations that work to improve living and working conditions of farmworkers and poultry workers in North Carolina. Since 2003, we have been collaborating to bring workers' voices to the legislative process. Join us as we work together to make North Carolina a better place for workers and families.
