Essential Yet Unprotected: Farmworkers in America

Exploitation, heat exhaustion in a warming climate, and a heightened risk of COVID-19 are among the many challenges farmworkers face—often magnified by undocumented immigration status. Why does the law fail to protect these essential workers, and how can advocates step in where the law falls short? In this episode we speak with a Vermont-based farmworker from Mexico, activists at the organization Migrant Justice, and Vermont Law School Associate Dean Jenny Rushlow to find out. Guests:Jose Luis Cordova Herrera, Dairy Farm WorkerMarita Canedo, Organizer, Migrant JusticeWill Lambek, Organizer, Migrant JusticeJennifer K. Rushlow, Associate Dean for Environmental Programs and Director of the Environmental Law Center Resources:Support and get involved with Migrant Justice.Call your legislator to support the Vermont Coronavirus Relief Fund for immigrant families. Donate to Movimiento Cosecha’s Undocumented Worker Fund.Dontate to Justice for Migrant Women COVID-19 Relief Fund.Sew #Masks4Farmworkers.Sign up to milk cows in Vermont if farmworkers get sick.Download Housing and Employment Rights for Vermont Dairy Workers, published by Vermont Law School’s Center for Agriculture and Food Systems.Read Associate Dean Jenny Rushlow’s latest journal article on farmworkers and access to justice.