In 1970 about a fourth of the country's farm workers were underage, working and living in conditions which are "sub-sub-substandard" in most parts of the country. These workers are often swindled or exploited by labor contractors or crew men. Since the work is seasonal, families are forced to travel great distances, under difficult circumstances,…

Migratory farm workers employed in 688 countries in 46 states in 1965 represent a 9 percent increase over 1964. Average earnings for the migratory farm worker in 1965 were $1,737. In spite of the new legislation, which is described, there are additional needs in the areas of wages, child labor, health, education, day care, housing, sanitation, and…

THIS REPORT RECAPITULATES CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE SMALL FARMERS, SHARECROPPERS, AND AGRICULTURAL LABORERS IN 1965. THE AUTHOR PRESENTS INFORMATION ABOUT FARM LABOR STRIKES, UNIONIZATION, MECHANIZATION, AND STATISTICS OF ACCIDENT RATES, CHILD LABOR, WAGES AND EARNINGS, AND FOREIGN LABOR. THE AUTHOR EXPLAINS SEVERAL NEW FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS…

This paper, by a teacher of migrants, summarizes various farm labor laws and child labor laws pertaining to migrant and seasonal workers. The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act of 1983 provides workers with assurances about pay, hours, and working conditions, including safety and health. This legislation permits anyone…

In 1970, many Americans are examining anew the costs of achieving efficiency in agriculture through bigness. The exodus of small farmers continues--more than 2.7 million farmers have abandoned farming or sold out to bigger competitors since 1950--while Government agricultural policy remains attuned to the interests of large farmers. All small…

Until recently, American farmworkers have been poor and unorganized. As a result, they have been powerless to protect themselves from different forms of discrimination and exploitation. The rights of farmworkers have been traded off by social reformers in State legislatures as well as the Congress. In the last few years, this has begun to change…

Ricky is an 11-year-old migrant worker. During the summer, he travels with his family from their home in Rio Grande City, Texas, to farms farther north. There they spend 10-12 hours a day in the hot sun picking fruit and vegetables and packing the harvest for market. Ricky is not protected by the federal laws that govern the hours, wages, and…

In its report accompanying the 1974 amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Senate Labor Committee concluded that in general child labor in agriculture was physically and mentally detrimental to the health and well-being of participating children, acting as a social depressant, stunting their intellectual growth and capacity, and…