Farmworker-led Campaign Brings 300 Workers and Community Members to Board of Supervisors Special Hearing

On November 12, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors held a special hearing to discuss a county-wide living wage for farmworkers, drawing hundreds of community members who turned out in strong support of fair treatment and equitable pay.

“More than 300 farmworkers and their families gathered. Their presence, alongside allies and supporters, showcased a powerful demonstration of support for fair compensation and improved working conditions,” said Celina Ramirez, Organizer with CAUSE. “I was so impressed by the number of people who came out, united in one voice, to urge the county supervisors to improve farmworkers’ wages and address working conditions.”

During the height of the pandemic, farmworkers received recognition as essential workers because of their contributions to our communities’ health and stability. In response, workers began organizing to ensure their treatment reflected their essential contributions to our region, state, and nation.

“Alianza Campesina was born out of workers continuously performing strikes throughout 2019 – 2020,” Daniel Segura Esquivel explained during his presentation at the hearing. “Following several local strikes, workers organized themselves and decided that higher wages was the only solution to effectively address all of their lived needs. That is why today, we are calling for a $26/hour county wage ordinance for farmworkers.”

Farmworkers remain marginalized despite their status as essential. As a result, farmworkers continue their efforts through Alianza Campesina, in partnership with CAUSE (Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy) and MICOP (Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project), to demand real change.

Farmworkers on the Central Coast perform some of the most dangerous and deadly work in the nation, yet they continue to face extreme financial hardship, struggling to cover basic living expenses such as rent, food, and medical care. In 2023, this reality was underscored by the tragic deaths of two farmworkers while working in North County farms.

Recording of special hearing

“Farmworkers risk their lives in any climate conditions, extreme heat, cold weather when it rains, or just as we witnessed last week with the Mountain wildfire in Ventura County, they are there working in smoke sometimes near the evacuation zones,” said Arcenio Lopez, Executive Director of the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project. He continued with, “companies get millions in crop insurance [during these extreme climate conditions and natural disasters while] workers get excluded from unemployment benefits.”

The hearing featured two panels, aimed at understanding the current state of farmworkers in Santa Barbara County. The first panel included representatives from Alianza Campesina to discuss the need for a living wage ordinance for farmworkers. Representatives of the Grower Shipper Association, the California Strawberry Commission, and Coastal Vineyard Care Associates were also present to discuss the impacts of the living wage ordinance.

Santa Barbara County generated $1.9 billion from agriculture in 2022 and $1.8 billion the following year. According to Harvesting Dignity: The Case for a Living Wage for Farmworkers, strawberries generated the highest percentage of revenue in both years.

Daniel Segura Esquivel, Associate Organizing Director of CAUSE, and Arcenio Lopez, Executive Director of MICOP, represented Alianza on the panel and delivered compelling arguments for why farmworkers deserve a living wage.

“Previous research from Philip Martin, professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis, shows that a 40% increase of wages would lead to a 4% increase in consumer prices which would only be about $25 per year.” said Segura Esquivel. “A lot of these costs could be absorbed by big corporate distributors, such as Driscoll’s.”

Following the panels, farmworkers shared testimonies with Supervisors Joan Hartmann and Das Williams, requesting and urging them to take action in support of improved wages.

“I have already heard my parents for a few months worry about how they are going to pay bills, food, rent, and more during this off-season,” stated Araceli Mendoza River, 17 years old, “they should not have to worry about that but they do every single year […] being paid only $16 per hour.”

Community members and organizations arrived in support of Alianza Campesina to express their support for the initiative with a rally outside the special hearing as a broad display of support for farmworkers to receive dignified wages and safe working conditions.

The movement for a farmworker living wage is gaining unstoppable momentum, fueled by overwhelming community support, as demonstrated by the November 12th hearing. Farmworkers are the backbone of our region’s health, prosperity, and sustainability — yet their compensation has long failed to reflect their essential contributions. It’s long past time to right this injustice. A living wage is not just fair; it is the only sustainable path forward for the agricultural industry. Alianza Campesina is committed to this fight until farmworkers receive the pay they deserve — one that ensures dignity, financial security, and the ability to spend quality time with their families. The time for change is now.

Alianza Campesina de la Costa Central (Alianza Campesina) is a partnership between Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) and the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP). Alianza Campesina works with farm workers across the Central Coast to organize and advocate for workers’ rights and improved working conditions.