25 signatures reached
To: Julie A. Su, Douglas L. Parker, Elizabeth Watson, José Javier Rodríguez
No Healthcare, No Harvest: Stand Up for Farmworkers’ Rights!
Farmworkers are keeping our food supply alive, but their healthcare is being left to die. It’s a crisis: the very workers who harvest our food are facing dangerous conditions with no access to basic healthcare. From heatstroke to pesticide exposure, they are suffering—and without proper medical care, they are being forced into emergency rooms, burdening the entire healthcare system.
This hits hardest for H-2A visa workers—temporary workers who are critical to our farms but are left with NO health insurance for everyday medical needs. These workers aren’t just statistics; they’re people who keep our plates full and our communities thriving. They deserve better!
We demand immediate action:
- Mandatory healthcare coverage for ALL farmworkers, including H-2A workers.
- Expand Medicaid to cover H-2A workers in states that offer it.
- Make ACA enrollment easy and multilingual to help workers access care.
- Employer incentives to offer real health insurance, not just band-aid solutions.
It’s time to stand up for the people who put food on our tables. Sign this petition and demand healthcare for farmworkers NOW. Let’s protect those who feed us!
Why is this important?
This cause is essential because farmworkers are the backbone of the agricultural sector, directly contributing to food security and economic stability in the U.S. They labor in physically demanding and often dangerous environments, facing risks such as pesticide exposure, extreme heat, respiratory issues, and repetitive injuries. Despite their critical role, these workers are often excluded from healthcare benefits, which can have severe repercussions both for their health and for the communities they support.
Farmworkers, especially those on H-2A visas, face substantial barriers to accessing healthcare. These include limited insurance coverage, language barriers, and fears of immigration-related repercussions, often forcing them to seek care only in emergency situations. This lack of regular healthcare not only worsens their health outcomes but also strains local healthcare systems due to higher emergency room usage. Improving healthcare access for farmworkers is therefore a matter of social justice, public health, and economic prudence.
Expanding healthcare access for farmworkers not only benefits them personally but also supports healthier communities, more resilient healthcare systems, and a more stable food supply. Without this support, these workers’ health deteriorates, which could lead to labor shortages and higher costs in the agricultural sector, impacting food availability and prices across the country.