Washington state farmworkers are facing harsh conditions in the midst of wildfires and late-summer heat. They re calling for greater protections from the elements. Alfredo Juarez is a farmworker in northwest Washington and organizer with Community to Community Development. .
After a devastating hailstorm in eastern Oregon, community members are lending each other a helping hand. In mid-August, a severe storm dropped hail the size of baseballs on the town of Wallowa. It damaged nearly every vehicle in the town of 800, smashed windows and battered roofs. .
An organization defending the rights of thousands of farmworkers in Ohio and other states is creating its road map for the future. The Farm Labor Organizing Committee recently held its 14th Quadrennial Convention in Northwest Ohio. Baldemar Velasquez, president of the committee, explained one major challenge is farmworkers are not protected under the National Labor Relations Act because they are not defined as employees. .