During last week’s heat wave, when some families were trying to beat the heat at home or headed to the beach to cool off, Santa Barbara County farmworkers were under the sweltering sun, working for hours in the fields to ensure that food was still available for our fridges, pantries, and beach-day picnics.
At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors hearing, farmworker advocates shared the struggles of underpaid ag-workers, and farmers warned of impacts of higher wages, as the county considered forming a committee to discuss a potential living wage ordinance for farmworkers.
Daniel Segura, an organizer with Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), said that the move would be a “crucial step to formally begin discussing” the concerns raised by farmworkers. The ad hoc committee, which was suggested after dozens of workers and advocates came to highlight the issue during a previous board meeting , has already ignited a firestorm debate — with workers pushing for a $26 minimum wage while farmers and business groups warn the county that a higher minimum wage would come with dire unintended consequences.