Social Justice

The Washington State Supreme Court last week determined that farmworkers who are paid piece rate wages deserve paid rest breaks. The unanimous decision in the case, Demetrio et al. v. Sakuma Brothers Farms, will affect farmworkers across the state -- including the west Washington State berry pickers who brought the case against their employers Sakuma Brothers -- who are paid based on the weight of the produce they have harvested, not based on an hourly wage.

This week’s Five on Friday provides new clinical resources, articles on migrant perspectives and realities, and, of course, the obligatory light-hearted TED Talk, all recommended by MCN staff.

[Editor’s Note: This is the second installment on our blog series exploring the health needs of the unaccompanied children and mothers with children who arrived at the US-Mexico border seeking asylum during last year’s ‘border surge.’ Ileana Maria Ponce-Gonzalez, MD, MPCH, CNC, is MCN’s Senior Advisor for Scientific and Strategic Planning, and is based in Seattle, WA. View our first installment here.

[Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of blog posts exploring the health needs of the unaccompanied children and mothers with children who arrived at the US-Mexico border seeking asylum during last year’s ‘border surge.’ Subscribe to our blog to receive notifications of upcoming installments.]

Proud to be in America? Yes! Last week, in a statement regarding the Supreme Court decision requiring states to recognize same-sex marriage, President Obama said, “Today should give us hope that, on the many issues on which we grapple, many painfully, real change is possible. Shifts in hearts and minds [are] possible.” Change for the better is a real possibility, here in the United States -- even if sometimes it feels far off. This is true for many of the issues that we hold dear to our hearts.

Let’s celebrate! Three out of five of our Five on Friday selections are clear wins for migrants workers and immigrants in the US, leading to greater workplace protections and better access to health care for many people in this country. 

In the countdown to the finalization of the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard, what farmworkers and migrant clinicians want to share with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is what it’s like to be exposed to pesticides as a child and retaliated against as an adult for seeking medical help when exposed to pesticides.

Our “Five on Friday” blog posts are always a joyous reminder of how many organizations are working toward the same goals: health justice, a voice for marginalized populations like the mobile poor, rights for farmworkers… It’s thrilling to hear what other organizations are up to, and how we can lean on each other to grow our movement stronger. Plus, it’s Friday -- that’s a joyous thing, too, for those of us on a five-day work week.

Friday is once again tugging on our brains, luring us into the weekend before 5pm… What are your plans this weekend? Care to add a little bit of health justice reading to the mix?

1. Karen, Executive Director, sent along Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, which provides food insecurity data for every county in the US.