On Sunday, farmworkers joined forces at the Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival during a May Day rally campaigning for increased pay and better working conditions.
According to CAUSE, an organization that claims to work for social, economic, and environmental justice, Santa Barbara County is home to more than 12,000 farmworkers.
Those men and women are currently working for minimum wage, which is $16.50 an hour.
Demonstrators at Sunday's rally called for a pay increase to $26 an hour.
“From paying the rent to the groceries to the bills, the minimum wage that we are currently being paid is not enough for us workers,” said Alejandro, a farmworker at the protest.
“A lot of people need a better, dignifying salary,” said Gabriela Vivar, another farmworker at the event.
Around 80 farmworkers and community members marched outside of the annual Santa Maria Strawberry Festival with posters and signs rallying for a living wage.
“Every year, they celebrate the fruit, but unfortunately neglect their very own farmworkers,” said Erica Diaz, a CAUSE senior policy advocate.
Diaz says farmworkers went before the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to share their experiences, working conditions, and the need for a living wage last year.
“Unfortunately, after that hearing, they did not push forward with an ordinance for a living wage, but that is something workers are continuing to fight to this day,” Diaz said.
“The conditions are not so great at all. We have to work during the rainy days and high heat days. When I used to work in the broccoli fields, I had an injury on a rainy day,” said Vivar.
For Gabriela Vivar, she’s been working in the fields since she was 15— about half of her life.
“Everyone here is the backbone, and we need to be heard in order to get a better-paying job,” Vivar said.
When asked if farmworkers get benefits or paid sick leave, Viviar said no.
“Farmworkers don’t. Most farmworkers don’t even get their holidays paid,” she said.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors did not provide comment about the issue, as officials are not in the office on the weekends.
