Farm worker death investigation report released. E-mail Calif. Governor today

Another farm worker death; another law not enforced.
E-mail the Gov. and ask him to make sure the laws are enforced.

Last May we told you about Eladio Hernandez, a 52-year-old farm worker who died of a heart attack while laboring in the sweltering heat in a San Joaquin Valley orchard. Eladio's story was especially horrendous because the company waited for almost 3 hours before calling for medical assistance. Even then the foreman just took Eladio and dropped him off near the sorting facility and left him. Other workers were the ones who called 911. Co-worker Rodrigio Gonzalez told us how Eladio told workers, "I don't want to die."

Thousands responded to our plea and sent e-mails to Cal OSHA demanding an investigation--which they did. OSHA's report found farm labor contractor YNT Harvesting in serious violation of several health and safety standards. The contractor was fined nearly $26,000 stemming from the death. The report's findings reveal that YNT's thoughtless and careless disregard for these regulations lead to Hernandez's death. Some of the findings outlined in the report include:

"The field was located in a remote, isolated location and the employer failed to provide the crew boss proper equipment or a telephone communication system for contacting a doctor to avoid unnecessary delay in treatment. As a result, medical treatment was delayed and an employee of YNT Harvesting FLC died on 5/9/07."

"During the course of the investigation it was determined that the employer did not provide employees written emergency procedures, as required by law."

"It was determined that employees were not acclimatized. Seasonal employees were working in elevated temperatures and the employer had not addressed the importance of acclimatization, as required by law." The OSHA investigation report detailed how the employer callously disregarded this legality by saying, "'it would be impossible to check each employee and determine if the worker needed an extra break just because certain new hires were not used to working in the heat.' She also stated that she could not monitor each individual employee because it would be discrimination to allow one employee more time for a break."

More has to be done now to prevent tragedies like this from occurring once the season starts.

Please help farm workers by e-mailing Governor Schwarzenegger and telling him that farm workers need his help and his laws are not being enforced. The laws on the books are not the laws in the fields. Ask him to take action to prevent more farm worker deaths.