We often write you about the big issues facing workers across Washington. Today, I’m writing to make sure you heard this important story about a group of workers who are often overlooked: the thousands of farmworkers who pick berries and harvest vegetables all over our state.

Honesto Silva Ibarra was a 28-year-old father of three from Mexico who was working as a blueberry picker in Sumas, Washington — a small town in Whatcom County, just south of the Canadian border.

Honesto died on Sunday at Harborview Medical Center. According to his coworkers, before he was hospitalized, his supervisor at Sarbanand Farms ignored his complaints about headaches, telling him to return to work in the fields rather than providing him with medical care.

Honesto was one of about 15,000 farmworkers in Washington state on a temporary work visa this year — the H-2A visa, which allows workers to stay in the U.S. for short periods of time while performing seasonal farm work.

Dozens of Honesto’s coworkers went on strike last Friday, protesting his treatment as well as the alleged lack of healthy food, cold water, and fair working conditions on the farm. But when they returned to work on Saturday, they say they were immediately fired — and not only that, they were kicked out of their legally mandated farmworker housing. Left without homes or valid work visas to transfer elsewhere, more than 70 farmworkers are now sleeping in tents on a community member’s lawn while they decide what to do next.

Click here to share the story on Facebook or Twitter, and then donate what you can so we can send supplies the farmworkers have requested to the encampment.

This week, farmworkers have been coordinating with local organizations Community to Community Development and Familias Unidas por La Justicia to get food, tents, and other supplies for the encampment from community members, and to set up marches to fight back against Sarbanand’s unfair treatment of workers.

Honesto’s story reveals a lot more than a single injustice against a single worker. Other workers at Sarbanand report being threatened with being sent back to Mexico if they complain about their conditions, and being discouraged from taking sick days. Farmworkers are frequently the target of inhumane employers, and many immigrant workers fear the consequences of raising health and safety concerns with employers.

That’s why it’s vital that we in Washington support all workers across our state — including temporary agricultural workers like Honesto and his coworkers.

Share the Sumas farmworkers’ story on Facebook and Twitter to make sure your friends & family hear this important story from some of our state’s most targeted workers.

And if you want to support the encampment of Sarbanand farmworkers who were fired, click here to donate so we can send them supplies like tents, sleeping bags, and food.

Thank you,
Emily, Working Washington

FDA Consumer Health Information

Discrimination is not as easily defined as a person may believe at first glance. Even if a boss dislikes someone for his or her personality and treats the person in an unfair manner as a result, this may not be enough evidence for a discrimination claim. To file a valid discrimination claim, the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) requires that a person’s discrimination fall within one of eleven categories.

Determining Your Protected Class

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 has heavily influenced the way that courts determine the protected groups under discrimination laws. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prevents discrimination in educational facilities and public workplaces. Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a person may not be discriminated against due to the following:

• Age
• Pregnancy
• National Origin
• Race
• Ethnic Background
• Religious Beliefs
• Sexual Orientation

Specific Examples Of Discrimination

In each particular protected class under discrimination laws, people tend to face common forms of discrimination. For example:

• People who are discriminated against for their national origin tend to be treated unfavorably due to their heritage or country of original citizenship.
• A person may face discrimination if an employer requires him or her to speak English in the workplace.An employer may only enforce this requirement if speaking English is required for effectively performing job tasks in the workplace.
• Also, an employer may not fire an employee due to the foreign accent that he or she has.
• A person of a particular sexual orientation may experience discrimination if the workplace environment becomes hostile as a result of teasing or offensive comments.
• If a victim is fired or demoted due to his or her sexual orientation, then this is another example of discrimination.

Discrimination Lawyers For Your Case

Discrimination lawyers will advocate for you in your discrimination case. When you feel like your workplace has become hostile as a result of teasing or inappropriate comments aimed at your sexual orientation, then you may have a valid discrimination claim against your employer.