EDD Affirms Disability Standard to Improve Protections for Pregnant Farmworkers
When we launched our Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) with Monterey County Department of Health in December 2017, we gave special focus to one of the county’s most pressing public health issues: poor outcomes for babies and children due to their mothers’ exposure to pesticides while pregnant.
Two years later, we’re excited to share that the State of California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) has officially affirmed the disability standard we’ve pioneered through our MLP!
CRLA, Public Justice Defeat Coerced Arbitration for H-2A Workers
After a two-day bench trial in front of the Hon. Edward Chen, CRLA Salinas attorneys Ana Vicente and Josephine Weinberg, together with co-counsel Karla Gilbridge and Rodolfo Padilla of Public Justice, successfully challenged an arbitration agreement against Elkhorn Packing, a large H-2A agricultural employer in the Salinas area.
This decision is a victory for all workers, especially low-wage immigrant workers. It makes clear that taking advantage of H-2A workers' vulnerabilities is unacceptable and that the manner in which an arbitration agreement is presented to and signed by an employee matters with respect to whether the agreement is valid and enforceable.
For Undocumented Workers, Demanding Better Work Conditions Could Mean Deportation
Credit: Monica Campbell/The World
Luis Alberto Echeverría, a former dairy farm employee in Turlock, California, sued his boss after he disregarded an on-the-job injury. Yet, after leaving a desposition for his case, Echeverría was detained by immigration agents and deported. He was eventually granted a U visa, for victims of certain crimes. In Echeverría's case, his visa was approved based on obstruction of justice since he was deported while suing his employer.
Community Clean Up
Many unincorporated areas of Modesto are plagued with trash due to illegal dumping
CRLA’s Community Equity Initiative (CEI) works with leaders in disadvantaged unincorporated communities to advance equitable development and investment in community services and infrastructure. Many unincorporated areas of Modesto, for example, are plagued with trash due to illegal dumping. In January, residents of Parklawn, one unincorporated community near Modesto, came together to clean up their neighborhoods. With support from CEI, these residents successfully advocated for their cleanup needs with Stanislaus County Supervisor Jim DeMartini, who secured four dumpsters using discretionary funds. This month, supervisors will be voting to approve a dedicated $100,000 for a multifaceted approach to keep these communities clean. Hear more from Parkland residents in this article from the Modesto Bee
Fausto Sanchez: Interpreter of the Year
Fausto Sanchez is the recipient of the CHIA Interpreter of the Year award!
CRLA Community Worker Fausto Sanchez is the recipient of the Certified Healthcare Interpreting Association's Interpreter of the Year award! Fausto is a native Mixtec speaker who immigrated to the US from Oaxaca, Mexico and was once a farmworker himself. After hearing a radio ad expressing a need for court interpreters who speak indigenous languages, Fausto enrolled at the Monterey Institute where he became a certified interpreter. A few years later he heard about CRLA and has been working with us ever since. Many farmworkers speak only indigenous languages and Fausto holds training sessions in Mixtec to help them understand and stand up for their rights. Fausto has made tremendous contributions to CRLA's client communities, and we congratulate him on this award. Read his story in this article from The New Food Economy.
#NOMÁS to Sexual Harassment
When a brave young farmworker reported his harassment and assault at the hands of his supervisor, his employer fired him.
When a brave young farmworker reported his harassment and assault at the hands of his supervisor, his employer fired him. Fearless advocate Ana Vicente took up the case, filing with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). After 10 grueling months of negotiation, Ana Vicente attained an amazing result for the client: over a half a million dollar settlement and ongoing monitoring to ensure his former employers follow state and federal anti-sexual harassment laws. These incredible outcomes were achieved without the client having to testify in discovery or in court, which saved him from the emotional turmoil of reliving the trauma he endured. CRLA is a trailblazer in highlighting the issue of sexual harassment in the field, and continues to represent farmworkers to fight gender based violence and discrimination
NAACP Honors CRLA!
NAACP Modesto Stanislaus branch recognized CRLA for our education advocacy work.
This spring, the NAACP Modesto Stanislaus branch recognized CRLA for our education advocacy work, which continues to advance education equity for students across the state. CRLA staff attended the branch's Freedom Fund Community Service Awards Banquet and accepted the award honoring our work to ensure fair and equitable education for students in Modesto!
Roselyn Shares Her Brave Journey
News series receives national recognition with the 2019 GLAAD Media Award.
Univision 21 Fresno profiled CRLA LGBTQ+ Program Community Worker Roselyn Macias in a news series that received national recognition when it was nominated for a 2019 GLAAD Media Award. The series featured Roselyn’s story growing up and coming out as a transgender woman in a Watsonville farmworker family, and later working in the fields.