Death of eight Mexicans shows vulnerability of migrant workers in the US

Death in a road accident of eight agricultural workers mexicans in the watermelon fields of northern Florida mourns this union of temporary workers in USA that on their journey through several states to collect crops they find themselves unprotected, according to farmer organizations.

“Farmworkers are one of the most vulnerable groups in the United States,” Yesica Ramírez, general coordinator of the Florida Agricultural Workers Association, told EFE this Wednesday.

Ramírez hopes that a thorough investigation will be carried out into the tragedy that occurred Tuesday morning when about 53 temporary workers were traveling on a bus on the main highway in Marion County heading to the Cannon Farms farm.

The bus, which collided sideways with a pickup truck coming from the oncoming lane, went off the road, through a fence and overturned on its side in the Ocala area.

The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed the death of 8 people and indicated that about 40 more were taken to medical centers. The driver of the van, Bryan Maclean Howard, was arrested and faces 8 counts of involuntary manslaughter for driving under the influence.

The spokesperson for the Orlando Consulate confirmed to EFE this Wednesday that seven of those hospitalized are in critical condition.

“In the past we have documented violations in the transportation provided to workers. Part of our fight is to offer them decent transportation, with air conditioning and seat belts that work,” Ramirez indicated.

The bus in which the Mexicans were transported was a 2010 model and press reports indicate that it did not have seat belts.

Ramírez explains that usually farms and contractors, who serve as intermediaries between the employer and workers, buy buses that have been out of service due to their age, mostly from school districts, to provide transportation service.

“We know that buses are generally very old and are not decent and safe transportation”emphasizes the activist.

More protection for foreign workers

A similar case occurred last February when seven farm workers died in California’s Central Valley after the vehicle in which they were traveling to work crashed into a pickup truck.

In the case of Florida, the Mexicans, who were covered by the H-2A visa, which allows foreigners to work temporarily in the United States, traveled about an hour every day from their accommodation in Gainesville to the farm.

Last month, Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su announced expanded protections for the growing number of temporary foreign workers on whom farms depend, facing domestic labor shortages.

The rule seeks to reduce abuses of temporary agricultural workers on H-2A visas, including human trafficking and wage theft, while promoting employer accountability, according to the Department of Labor.

The consul of Mexico in Orlando (Florida), Juan Sabines Guerrero, expressed frustration on Tuesday night because the company had not provided a list of the workers who were traveling on the accident bus.

This Wednesday the Mexican authorities identified some of the victims: Evarado Ventura Hernández, Cristian Salazar Villeda, Alfredo Tovar Sánchez, Isaías Miranda Pascal, José Heriberto Fraga Acosta and Manuel Pérez Ríos.

Ramírez said they have opened a GoFundMe account to raise US$50,000 to help affected families. “Not only did they lose their loved ones, they lost a source of income.”

“We hope that the farm responds and that this tragedy highlights the need to protect farm workers so that they are treated fairly,” added the activist in reference to the recent approval of a law in Florida that prevents cities and counties from approving protection measures for people who work outdoors and are exposed to high temperatures.

A vigil is expected to be held this Wednesday night in honor of the deceased, promoted by the consular authorities of Mexico in the city of Apopka (Florida).

It may interest you

• The 13 agricultural products that are making their way in the world, which market will they enter?
• More than 7,600 producers have been compensated with Catastrophic Agricultural Insurance
• New guidelines make H-1B visas difficult for the technology sector