The conditions of migrant workers in Florida

Florida tends to be a hotspot for immigrants as it is on a coast and close to the Central and South American countries. Many people consider migrant workers on farms to be the victims of modern day slavery, working in difficult conditions for substandard pay. According to Florida Legal Services, three-quarters of farm workers in Florida are immigrants. The average age of a farm worker is 35. About a quarter of the farm workers are women. Many of these women deal with sexual harassment on a daily basis. Farm workers also lack pension plans, paid vacations, and sick leave. Some farms do not even provide toilets for their workers if there are less than six (Florida legal online). As horrible as many of these conditions are, some are doing an excellent job working to improve the conditions for Florida migrant workers. For example, a writer for the New York Times pointed out the improvements done by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers who work to improve conditions by investigating slavery and negotiating with fast food restaurants to get more money for the workers (Schlosser online). The Immokalee workers make a definite impact in South Florida for immigrant workers who are mistreated. “The Anti-Slavery Campaign has resulted in freedom for more than a thousand tomato and orange pickers held in debt bondage, historic sentences for various agricultural employers, the development of a successful model of community-government cooperation, and the growth of an expanding base of aware and committed worker activists.” (Coalition of Immokalee Workers online).

Not all immigrant workers are mistreated in Florida. For example, C&B farms, and organic farm in Clewiston, FL, is an example of a farm that has decently paid farm workers with adequate housing. Chuck Obern, the owner of C&B farms, may not allow his workers the weekend off, but they pay a low price for their housing, and on average they work about 5-7 hours a day.

The safety and fair treatment of migrant workers is definitely something to look in to.