UFW

The sun is rising as workers head out to the field in Sonoma County to begin pruning the grapevines that will later produce tasty Gallo wines. #WeFeedYou

"Arturo" has been a UFW member for 25 years. "Because I have a UFW contract I enjoy good wages, a medical plan, a pension, paid holidays and paid vacation. Best of all I have job security that protects me against unfair termination." #WeFeedYou

"Alicia" shared this pic from Kern County. "The lemon orchard is in bad shape, with no lemons on the trees. They still only pay us $35 per 900 lb box for juice lemons. It takes us 3-4 hours to pick that box. It's wrong. We should at least be guaranteed minimum wage." #WeFeedYou

"Lourdes" has 23 years experience in working at wine vineyard on CAs Central Coast. "I know how to do all the tasks required to make sure that the grapevines produce good fruit which makes the best wine." #WeFeedYou

"Saul" shows us the start of a new grape vine pruning block that has yet to be touched in Madera CA. "With large sections needing to be pruned, we are constantly moving and rushing to cover as much ground so we can earn enough to pay our bills.We earn 31 cents/plant." #WeFeedYou

"Ana" is tying grape vines during early am foggy conditions in Madera CA. "I must go up and down ladders all day long and secure the vines with my arms held up. By the end of the day my arms ache. It's extra cold now which makes it even harder. I earned CA min wage." #WeFeedYou

Two farm workers are tending to a grape vineyard in McFarland CA carefully positioning and securing the young vines along the trellis system to ensure proper growth and alignment. This careful work helps promote healthy vine development and grape production. #WeFeedYou

Workers are busy harvesting bok choy in Arvin CA. #WeFeedYou

Trabajadores están ocupados cosechando bok choy en Arvin, California. #SoyEsencial

"Rosa" harvests strawberries on CAs Central Coast. "During the rainy season, there isn't much work. The strawberry rows fill with water. It can take two weeks for them to dry. Sometimes we just work 3-4 hrs/day. It's barely enough to cover rent and feed my kids." #WeFeedYou

"Julio" works in Salinas, CA as a tractor driver. "I'm preparing the land to plant vegetables for this new season. I. Work from sun up to sun down. I'm proud that thanks to me and my coworkers families across the states have fresh vegetables on their tables." #WeFeedYou

A crew is hard at work tying the branches of almond trees. This is done to provide structural support and prevent branches from breaking under the weight of a heavy nut crop. It also "trains" the shape of young trees. #WeFeedYou

Farm workers are harvesting tangerines in an orchard in Maricopa, CA, surrounded by rows of trees loaded with ripe fruit. "Beto" shares, "We must climb high ladders to reach the top branches. We need to be very careful as we don't want to fall." #WeFeedYou

"Gia" is working in Gonzales CA weeding and cleaning the weeds or grass that grows around the vegetables. She explains: The work is always harder after the rain as more weeds grow plus the ground that we need to walk in is muddy which makes it hard to move. #WeFeedYou

In order to protect the mango trees from moles in Coachella CA "Fidel" is applying castor oil-based repellents that moles hate the smell of. This is important as mole tunnels can expose young roots to air, causing the roots to dry out and destabilize the young trees. #WeFeedYou

Farm workers in WA state are hard at work pruning apple trees in 36° temps. They tell us: This work is very hard. We spend our days going up and down ladders - that gets slippery - to cut the branches. Frozen branches are brittle. Sometimes they break unexpectedly. #WeFeedYou

Join 100+ farm workers and their supporters outside the federal courthouse in Fresno as they rally for fair wages and against the Trump H2A wage cuts. Farm workers from across California plan to be there.

Won't you join us?

RSVP TODAY at https://act.seiu.org/a/h2arally?ms=m

#WeFeedYou

"Guillermo" is harvesting romaine lettuce in Maricopa CA. "This is a very difficult job. You need to work fast while you are continuously bending down and getting up and using a sharp knife to cut the lettuce." #WeFeedYou

"Ignacio" is a maintenance worker in the organic date palms, applying a treatment to the grass. #WeFeedYou

Ignacio es trabajador de mantenimiento de las palmeras datileras orgánicas, aplicando un tratamiento al césped. #SoyEsencial

"Armando" sent this from WA where workers are ready to go into the field and prune grapevines on an early morning where there's snow on the ground. He says: When it's this cold the branches are brittle and they could snap back as we prune the vine so we need to be careful. #WeFeedYou

Farm workers under a UFW contract a Gallo vineyards are starting their work day with "la escuelita" where a lead worker demonstrates exactly how the company wants the pruning done. #WeFeedYou

"Joel" share this photo from where his crew is pruning apples in Grant County WA. "It isn't easy. It takes great skill to prune properly. It's very important to do it right to ensure strong branches with many small nubs that can become flowers & eventually apples." #WeFeedYou

"Fidel" is harvesting citrus in the Maricopa CA area. "It's a very difficult job. I climb a 20 foot ladder carrying an 80lb sack of oranges. It takes almost 3 hrs to fill the bin in the picture. I earn $35-50/bin depending on the type." #WeFeedYou

"Daniel" is about to suit up to remove thorns from the date. The fronds are lined w/2-6 inch needle-sharp thorns - sharp enough to puncture tractor tires. Workers wear thick, puncture resistant gloves & eye protection as thorns can cause severe injury or infections. #WeFeedYou

"Elena" is harvesting oranges. "We are working hourly and paid minimum wage, but the pressure is like we're working piece rate. The supervisors are always rushing us, saying we need to work faster." #WeFeedYou

"Benito" shares, "We are farmworkers from the Imperial Valley. We've been working for years cutting broccoli rabe (rapini). We're covered in dirt from cutting the plants after a long day of work, a little tired, but in good spirits for another day of work." #WeFeedYou