An Account of Agriculture: Episode 4

The final episode options an interview with An space agricultural worker, Francisco Naranjo. It’s Spanish and the highlights are translated under.

Californian: How prolonged Have you ever been working as an agricultural worker?

Francisco: Not solely did I work, I’m from 4 generations. My grandmom and father, my mom and father, us, and my youngsters have additionally labored To assist school and agriculture.

C: In case your mom and father have been additionally working, at what age did You start working as an agricultural worker?

F: My dad is a Mexican agricultural worker and we additionally work from Mexico. I even have been doing numerous jobs from the age of 12 To The current.

C: What are you doing in your job proper now?

F: It has to do with constructing a house, A lot of The House is assembleed, however there are stunproperly some factors To assemble. In December, they Want to be disassembled and the supplies cleaned up.

C: Do You set them collectively So as that people can stay there the placeas they work?

F: They’re small houses like nurseries. You will Have The power to say they are a nursery school. Fruits are very delicate, so A house To shield them from water.

C: Did you Do this By way of the pandemic a yr in the past?

F: Sure, I used to be very influenced.

C: Inform us Barely bit about working all through a pandemic.

F: I Desired to get a job. The supervisor gave us The selection To return unpaid For 3 days, Which might be solely 30 or 40 staff. I made A selection to go in, However the reprimarying was delayed, in all probability as a Outcome of I didn’t have The complete information, however I don’t know the motive.

C: Did They need you To return unpaid?

F: If there are days of unproperlyness left, 3 days with out pay. There was nofactor in my house.

C: How did you get The small print Regarding the pandemic, did you study the treatise, or how did you get it?

F: By way of the union. I On A daily basis work beneath a union contract and the supervisor additionally currentd us with information. If he Desires to Adjust to The guidelines of his boss, it’s good to get The information, Since the job Relies upon upon him.

C: Are you afraid to get a job all through a pandemic?

F: Sure. Fear is An factor of being human and We’re all included in it.

C: Please tell us extra about your feelings about work all through a pandemic.

F: That they left us behind Is Amongst The numerous feelings … it’s Not The identical job. I’ve little work. After I fell into work, I had two alternatives to be noticed. Some people have been contaminated with COVID. Two intervals of 14 days As quickly as I used to ben’t working, 28 days As quickly as I used to ben’t working. The primary interval they didn’t pay me, and the second time they paid me the revealed 80 hours.

C: Did You are really feeling That you merelyr agency is shielding you? Did They current you a masks or one factor like that?

F: Sure, However it Seems that they don’t put An extreme quantity of emphasis on supplies. The supervisor was handing out maskss solely when there was a rally. The masks wasn’t very snug And that i used to be informed, “I don’t Understand how.” [the maskss] felt. There’s not a obligation To place it to use. “… The maskss I’ve now are snug, and the maskss they gave me Weren’t snug And that i felt drowned.

C: You said that maskss Aren’t obligatory …

F: That’s what they said, “use them Do You’d like to need to.” But I Desired to take a break if I didn’t use it … Many people used handkerchiefs.

C: So did everyone have handkerchiefs or maskss?

F: Sure, There are tons of.

C: Did you see somebody with out them?

F: I needed it, so I Desired to put on it.

C: Did You are employed By way of The hearth?

F: Sure, There have been many days I labored.

C: Do you assume Your group shields you Everytime you go to work Inside the midst Of A hearth, or do You’ve your biggest intentions in thoughts?

F: It’s not that a lot of An group, However it’s OSHA that isn’t paying consideration … OSHA Have to be extra vigilant.

C: So don’t you assume OSHA is working properly?

F: I don’t know the place I found it.

C: There’s not a one close by. Is there somefactor You’d like to people To Search out out about working in a pandemic or in A hearth?

F: I might actually Simply like the agency to be extra clear about Who’s unproperly … How do I do know if somebody I work intently with is contaminated with COVID-19?

C: Are you getting studyy for this yr’s hearth on that theme?

F: Well, Individuals are working. We now Want to work as a Outcome of It is the one entry we have: Agriculture. We don’t know The biggest Method to do Anyfactor.

C: Do your colleagues Have to be vaccinated?

F: They’re afraid. I used to be scared to get it too. In an interview I talked about it.

C: During the pandemic, did people really feel That you merely valued you, or not Lots?

F: We needed our boss to do extra enterprise. There was An group there. There was a mariachi and there was meals … however they acquired indignant and informed me it wasn’t important, the supervisor informed me it wasn’t important, And that i ought to Return to work Sure, I used to ben’t paying consideration … The agency doesn’t Want to do somefactor, it just cooperates.

C: That was my question, But As quickly as I didn’t ask you what people assume They’ve to know, I would likeed To Supply you time. What You should share.

F: I would like extra teaching to pay extra consideration to the supervisors … understanding that The federal authorities is injecting bunproperlyions of dollars, they make good use of That money They typically Personnel Should be educated To have The power to work extra with us. There May even be a message to President Joe Biden. We voted for him so he might assist immigration reform. And we’re not The one ones who assist it. Like Shay Myers in Ohio, who wants immigration reform, it’s additionally assisted by Joe Biden’s colleagues. I hope this message reaches President Joe Biden and he wunproperly not Permit us to Right down to Make assembleive That Every one of us to win. Ranchero has his farmer and We aren’t afraid.

Angelica Cabral, a California journalist and podcaster, covers subjects Starting from movies shot in Monterey County to how a lot money the politicians have raised. Do You’ve any fascinating story ideas? E-mail her at [email protected] You’d possibly additionally Adjust to her on Twitter @ avcabral97

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