Farmhands Need Safe Transport

The farm workers had pulled the graveyard shift, working a Central Valley tomato crop on mechanical harvesters, and they were heading home, seated on benches in a van. There were no seat belts, and they had no chance when the vehicle plowed into a big rig. Thirteen of the 15 people in the van were killed, including the driver.

Where does the responsibility lie? We could start in Sacramento, with a Legislature that over the years has largely failed to safeguard the men and women, mainly Latinos, who work California’s crops.

Now, in the aftermath of tragedy, two Fresno-area Assembly Democrats, Dean Florez and Sarah Reyes, have proposed a package of bills to improve standards for farm labor transport. Their legislation is fair and forward-looking, and all in the agricultural industry would be served by its call for higher safety standards for the vehicles that carry workers.

Because of an exemption for the agricultural industry, the California Vehicle Code does not require seat belts in trucks that transport farm workers. The Florez-Reyes legislation would mandate that any vehicle carrying farm workers be equipped with belts. That is a minimum safety requirement.

Monday’s accident was not an isolated incident. The likelihood of dying on the roads of the Central Valley is three times greater than in other parts of California, according to UC Davis researchers. The Florez-Reyes bills also call for an increase in California Highway Patrol officers in the valley. The price tag would be $4.5 million, and every dollar directed toward greater vehicular safety would be worthwhile.

Unsafe transportation to and from the fields is but one of many hazards facing farm workers. A recent Labor Department investigation into working conditions in the grape industry showed 77% of growers and labor contractors in violation of protective laws.

Wages below the federal minimum, poor housing, wretched sanitary facilities, inadequate medical care and risky use of pesticides increase workers’ risks. Agriculture remains California’s No. 1 industry, and Sacramento should see that the men and women who harvest the crops can do so safely.