Farmworkers Work Through Wildfires In California's Wine Country

California farmworkers are forced to work through raging wildfires even as residents flee. As fire season rapidly approaches, and scientists and fire fighters warn this summer could bring the worst fire season the west has ever seen, farmworkers in California's wine country are calling for urgent protections like hazard pay and disaster insurance by June 1.

There have been 23 major fires in CA's wine region in just the past 6 years. Even when evacuation zones are declared, police in Sonoma County allow farmworkers in, one told us.

Workers want Sonoma County's Board of Supervisors to pass 5 basic protections:
1) hazard pay
2) disaster insurance (to cover wages when work is impossible)
3) safety info shared in workers’ first languages
4) access to clean water & bathrooms
5) safety observers in the fields

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors is slated to have a community hearing before the end of May. North Bay Jobs With Justice is asking supporters to sign this petition in solidarity with farmworkers fighting for justice in the fields:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/farmworkers-deserve-safety-and-respect-in-sonoma-county
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