Farmworkers

California has sometimes moved to help victims of emergencies who are excluded from federal aid‚ such as undocumented workers and cannabis businesses.

A double dose of bad news hit one of California’s key economic engines Tuesday. As word filtered out about two federal investigations into the demise of Silicon Valley Bank, Meta announced it will lay off 10,000 workers.  This follows a string of tech layoffs that began last year, which included Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta […]

California farmworkers marched 335 miles last year to pressure Gov. Gavin Newsom on a law that would help them unionize. Then the union agreed to give back a key win.

Cannabis growers are laying off employees and closing farms. As the impact cascades through surrounding communities, workers are trying to find their next jobs. But opportunities are scarce.

In 2016, when California voters faced the choice of whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use, they heard promises that it would help end a racist “war on drugs,” bring a violent illegal market out of the shadows and, by the way, bring in tax revenue. Gavin Newsom, then lieutenant governor and now governor, said […]

From CalMatters politics reporter Ben Christopher: In 2021, state lawmakers made a request: The newly convened California Interagency Council on Homelessness should put together a “comprehensive view of the homelessness response system.” In short, the legislators said: We’d like to know how much the state is spending to address its homelessness crisis, where the money […]

January’s rains flooded farm fields and orchards. Many California farmworkers lost weeks of pay. Advocates say the state should help them weather such crises. A leading proposal would pay $300 a week to undocumented workers.

One of the farms where the Half Moon Bay mass shootings took place announced plans to build proper housing with codes and permits by next year. But why must it take a mass shooting to motivate a farm to humanely house its workers?

A major UC Merced study and survey detail the harsh conditions many of California’s farmworkers experience at home and work. The issues are under a spotlight following the recent mass shootings at two mushroom farms.

The herbicide paraquat is banned in dozens of countries due to its well-documented links to Parkinson's disease and cancer, yet the U.S. and California still allow it.