Infographic Template Galleries

Created with Fabric.js 1.4.5 Migrant Agricultural Workers in Florida With the U.S. in WWII, the government began topay more attention to farmlabor. 1940's So, the U.S. government createdthe Farm Security Administration,which organized mobile farm labor camps. This development lead to the Labor Importation Program, also known as the Bracero Program.The programs agreed to let thousands of Mexicans into the U.S. to perform agricultural work. The program expanded tothe East Coast, which employs citizens fromPuerto Rico and theCaribbean Islands. These minority workers had verylimited work options, so many hadno other choice besides agricultural work. The conditions for migrant workers were not very good. In 1940, John Beecherof the Farms Security Administration said that migrant workers in Florida lived in "the absolute low inAmerica's rural slums. The typical colored worker lived in a10 by 10 stall with rent costingbetween $1 to $1.50 a week.If they had a water spigot, the rentincreased by $0.25. If there was not a spigot, the residents would haveto go to a nearby store and by waterin pails, which usually costed a pennyfor each. 2015 Today Migrant workers are protected by MSPA, or theMigrant and Seasonal Agricultural Protection Act. The act creates rules for housing,transportation, wages, disclosures,and record keeping. In 2012, the number of prosecutions of servitudereached 9 in Florida. This is one of thos cases. Around 2002, the FBI discovered a slave ring of migrant workers nearLake Placid in Florida run by theRamos Brothers, Ramiro and Juan.The family was extremely rich, owning 3 fruit harvesting businesses, a grocery, 2clothing stores, and more than 30 piecesof real estate. The workers were snuck into Arizona, then transported to Florida, where they were charged$1,000 for their trip. The brothers took money off their paychecks, saying it was to cover their debtand food costs, but in reality kept the workers from leaving. There were as many as 200 slaves. They were forced to workten hours a day, six days a week with no time off while living in very filthy apartments. To keep themfrom running, the brothers threatened them at gunpoint and promised to torture or kill those who fled. There is also a community of immigrant workerswho work low-wage jobs such as picking tomatoesbased in Florida. It is known as the Coalition ofImmokalee Workers. The group combats and uncoverscases of slavery in Florida. Conditions today. A Department of Labor surveyconducted in 2000 states that61% of farm workers livebelow the poverty line. The majority of the workers whotake on these jobs are migrantsfrom Latin America. Other abuses of Latin Americanmigrant workers include withheld wages, confiscation of passportsand visas, and denial of basic healthcare and living conditions. The CIW believes that slaverycan be fought by the large corporations that profit fromthe cheap labor of migrant workers.They say these companies canuse their vast influence andresources to end slavery. So in conclusion, migrant workers in Floridaare protected under national law, but they stillface many of the same abuses that they facedin the 1940's. Matthew Hirshcberger
Create Your Free Infographic!