Should Farm Workers Be Paid Essay

Most people that enjoy the produce on the table do not realize that it is was grown through extensive effort and hard work from farm workers. Farm workers grow and pick the harvest people eat. They undergo continuous physical stress while doing their job. This results in injuries and serious issues that can affect their career. Their health is put at risk when these concerns persist and when they are not provided with suitable housing. In 1970, farm laborers were paid above minimum wage at a rate that would correspond to about sixteen dollars, however that is not at all the amount that these people are being paid. The farm workers of Salinas should be paid higher wages because of harsh labor conditions, the risk of physical injury, and the effect of substandard housing. Since the farm laborers are …show more content…
The workers must be qualified to get housing from the government and to get housing from the growers they cannot be immigrants and they must be seasonal workers. Their paychecks are lowered to pay for the rent. This is very expensive for the workers, since they do not make an adequate income relative to the cost of living on the central coast. To make up for this they will fit many people into one small house or trailer to save money. Arthur Jones, an NCR editor, writes about the effects that bad housing can cause “housing’s a big factor in health,” said medical director Dr. Rudy Alegria, inside the clinic. Poor housing translates directly into poor health because it “reflects the general financial situation, so you’re going to have substandard sanitary conditions--old houses, problems with doubtful drinking water, diarrhea, elevated lead levels” (Arthur). The problem is their hygiene is compromised and they can get sick which leads to losing more money because they can’t work or they have to pay for medical