Oregon farm workers experience broad COVID-19 pressures, new study reveals
Emily Teel
Oregon agriculture workers say they sometimes don't have proper protection gear, frequently cannot maintain social distancing on the job, and often don't have the means to quarantine or isolate if COVID-19 directly affects them.
The details come from a survey of more than 200 Oregon agricultural workers.
Conducted by a consortium of 11 agriculture worker organizations and academics from Portland State University, University of Oregon and Oregon State University, the Oregon COVID-19 Farmworker Study used surveys and interviews to gather information on worksite conditions and agricultural workers' abilities to protect themselves from COVID-19.
Despite Oregon OSHA demanding more stringent COVID-specific requirements for physical distancing, personal sanitation, and PPE use for the 2020 harvest season, survey participants reported experiencing periods when they lacked appropriate PPE and could not physically distance. They did say employers have taken some steps to prevent COVID-19 infection.
Multiple coronavirus infection clusters in Oregon have been linked to agricultural and food-processing worksites. Among the state’s largest include one among workers harvesting fruit at Townsend Farms sites in Cornelius and Fairview, another at Newport's Pacific Seafood plants, and a third at Lamb Weston, a potato processor in Hermiston.
News:Wine harvest season looming, ¡Salud! screens agriculture workers for COVID-19
Hispanic and Latinx people, the majority demographic of Oregon’s agricultural workforce, have been disproportionately impacted by coronavirus.
Farmworkers reported knowing people infected or having been directly exposed to COVID-19, but few report getting tested.
Study participants said the expense of testing and fear of losing a job are significant barriers to accessing testing and care. They also reported experiencing a significant loss of work and income during the COVID-19 pandemic as employers restricted hours.
Few of the farmworker participants said they have the means to quarantine or isolate if they or someone in their household is sick.
Other factors compounded these concerns, including trouble accessing affordable childcare, supporting their children’s education with the shift to remote classes, and concern for family members outside the U.S.
One-half or more of farmworkers surveyed remain unaware of paid sick leave benefits and existing relief funds organized by the federal government and State of Oregon.
Language barriers, especially for workers who primarily speak Indigenous languages from Mexico and Guatemala, are an obstacle for workers in accessing up to date information.
News:Six Mehama neighbors, a wildfire and a street forever changed
Emily Teel is the Food & Drink Editor at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at eteel@statesmanjournal.com, Facebook, or Twitter. See what she's cooking and where she's eating this week on Instagram: @emily_teel