May 2, 2024 The Midwest Center For Investigative Reporting
But more labor investigators needed, DOL head says
Last week, at a vineyard in the heart of California's wine country, the U.S. Department of Labor announced new farmworker protections. Among other things, one aim is to give farmworkers more access to unions.
While labor advocates agreed the rules were important, a lack of resources could stymie the new protections' effectiveness. The number of labor department employees dedicated to investigating wage theft — a common abuse farmworkers face — is at a 10-year low.
At the announcement, acting Labor Secretary Julie Su said the department needs more boots on the ground, and the agency is requesting a budget from Congress that reflects the need to hire more investigators.
— Sky Chadde, assistant editor/senior reporter
The U.S. labor department added new farmworker protections, but agency needs more resources ‘to do what we need to do,’ agency head says
By Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest
Visit the tourism websites for California’s wine country, and the first images are romantic and idyllic: smiling tourists, expansive vineyards, generous pours of red wine. What’s not shown is what makes the syrahs, chardonnays and pinot noirs possible — farmworkers.
The disconnect made for an ideal setting for a new U.S. Department of Labor announcement on April 26. In Sonoma County, with grapevines stretching into the distance behind her, the head of the agency declared new rules aimed at holding farmworker employers accountable for abusive practices.
Read more.
GRAPHIC: Food recalls on the rise post-COVID-19
By John McCracken, Investigate Midwest
The number of food recalls issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has increased in recent years, after a sharp decline during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The agency only issued 31 recalls in 2020, which was a 75% decline from the previous year. In 2023, there were 65 food recalls issued, a 40% increase from the previous year.
View the graphic.
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