The report came after Woodburn-based farmworker union PCUN asked OHSU researchers to gather existing data and research on occupational health conditions for farmworkers.
An irrigation system in an agricultural field off of 76th Avenue Northeast on Friday, March 12, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
An Oregon Health & Science University report released Wednesday found Oregon farmworkers are often made to work overtime without additional compensation, leading to financial strain and taking a toll on workers’ physical and mental wellbeing.
Reyna Lopez, executive director of Oregon farmworker union PCUN, said they asked OHSU in early 2021 to gather existing data and research on occupational health conditions for farmworkers and the impacts of their wage structure and mandated overtime work with no additional pay.
PCUN leaders at the time were trying to get legislation passed that would have created overtime requirements for agricultural employers. “We realized that we really needed to have more research to really back up a lot of the anecdotes that we were hearing in the community,” she said.
Lopez wasn’t surprised by the findings of the report, which she said confirmed the experiences farmworkers have shared with PCUN since it was founded in 1985.
The report found farmworkers who work long hours face greater risks than the general population of physical harm, mental health issues and disrupted family functioning.
As a daughter of farmworkers, she said the findings hit...
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