[Fwd: FL Special legislative committee to probe farmworkers' concerns]

[Guest guest]

FYI - maybe this comes from the recent attention to pesticides and birth

defects in the news in Florida

A

Posted on Mon, Oct. 17, 2005

*Special legislative committee to probe farmworkers' concerns*

*http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/breaking_news/12925973.htm

DAVID ROYSE*

*Associated Press*

*TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - *Unsafe rides to work, unsanitary and crowded

housing, exposure to pesticides and a lack of access to education are

among the many problems facing Florida's migrant farmworkers that will

be investigated by a special legislative committee.

Conditions faced by farmworkers received attention last week when state

officials announced fines against a company for violations that could

have led to excessive pesticide exposure. But workers say they face

daily difficulties that go beyond that.

Workers' advocates are hoping the Legislature will give a closer look

this year to several problems they face with the creation of a committee

dedicated solely to those issues. The Joint Legislative Commission on

Migrant and Seasonal Labor held its first meeting on Monday and heard

from farmworker representatives about some of their biggest concerns.

" We're the ones that feed all the state of Florida, " said Margarita

Romo, who works with the Pasco County advocacy group Farmworkers

Self-Help. " If we can't make things right for each other, how are we

going to make that happen? "

One of the biggest concerns among advocates is the way growers hire

laborers, contracting with a " crew chief " who then goes out and recruits

laborers to work a field. The crew chief gets paid by the grower, and

then pays the workers.

" They go out and make deals with the farmers, and they don't end up

giving the farmworkers a good deal, " Romo said.

She said labor contractors also exploit workers by charging them for

transportation to and from the fields. That's illegal, but many

immigrant workers don't know it.

Another issue is the safety of the transportation. Many workers are

taken to jobs in large, unsafe vans that don't have seats. A bill that

failed in the Legislature last year would have required not only seats,

but seat belts, and safety inspections.

Sen. J.D. , a Polk County citrus grower and chairman of the

committee, said the panel is just starting and it's not clear what

legislation may come out of it.

But he said recent revelations about worker exposure to pesticide made

it clear that issue at least needs to be looked at.

" I think the state has a real obligation to protect those that can't

protect themselves, " said , R-Winter Haven.

Tirso Moreno, a representative of the Farmworker Association of Florida,

said he'd like the panel to draft legislation to allow farmworkers'

children access to in-state college tuition. Many families can't qualify

for it because they're undocumented aliens, he said.

Woodall, another farmworker advocate, said she'd like to see the

committee expand to include more minorities, since most migrant

farmworkers are either black or Hispanic. The commission only includes

one minority lawmaker, Rep. Quinones, R-Kisssimmee, who is Puerto

Rican.

Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, said the criticism was well-taken, but

thought the panel could fairly look at farmworkers' plight.

" I think we should look beyond the ethnic makeup of the committee to see

where the intentions are, " Aronberg said. " I believe the intentions are

good. "

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© 2005 AP Wire and wire service sources. .

http://www.bradenton.com

Alice s, Florida Migrant Interstate Program Director

FGCU * 10501 FGCU Blvd. S. * Modular 2/Office 18 Fort Myers, Florida 33965

(239) 826-7706 cell * (239) 590-7445 fax *

fmip@... * www.fmip.net

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