Farmworker Safety and Wage Protections

California Workers’ Rights Daily Digest – October 20, 2025

Welcome to today’s briefing on workers’ rights in California, highlighting protections for low-wage sectors like agriculture, warehousing, and construction. Sourced from official and advocacy channels, we feature timely safety reaffirmations and funding boosts.

Recent Developments

  • Farmworker Safety and Wage Protections: During National Farm Safety and Health Week, state agencies spotlighted Senate Bill 846, signed in July and effective January 1, 2026, which updates a 50-year-old lien statute to let agricultural workers secure up to two weeks of unpaid wages without prior restrictions on farm ownership types. This combats wage theft in ag by simplifying recovery processes.
  • Rural Outreach Expansion: The Rural Strategic Engagement Plan (RSEP), funded with $30 million over three years, recently held its first cross-training session in September for over 200 staff, enhancing coordination for farmworker services like enforcement and referrals. Seven organizations now host community clinics for direct access.
  • Apprenticeship Investments: $30 million awarded in October to 70 programs supports over 11,000 apprentices in sectors like education and manufacturing, offering paid training pathways for low-wage workers transitioning to stable roles, such as early care apprenticeships for economically disadvantaged groups.

Enforcement Actions

  • Heat Safety Advisory: Amid forecasts of 90°F+ temperatures, Cal/OSHA issued a September advisory enforcing heat prevention standards, with high-heat protocols (e.g., employee monitoring) mandatory at 95°F for agriculture and construction to prevent illnesses in outdoor labor.

Tips and Resources for Workers

  • Heat Hazard Prevention: In agriculture or construction, demand shade at 80°F+, cool-down breaks, and training; indoor warehousing requires similar at 82°F. Join the Heat Illness Prevention Network for updates via HIPNetwork@dir.ca.gov.
  • Farmworker Education Tools: Access the multilingual Campo Seguro site through the SAFE Program for safety trainings and rights info; it has reached 1.4 million since 2020, including indigenous communities.
  • Career Training Funds: Explore $26 million in EDD/ETP grants for farmworker skill-building toward higher wages and union pathways.

Keep advocating—resources at dir.ca.gov and labor.ca.gov. See you tomorrow!

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Author: timothymccandless

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