TurnTo23.com

 
Lloyd
Lloyd

Bakersfield News

E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters
Related To Story

More Than 100 Farm Workers Living In Orchard

UPDATED: 10:58 am PDT May 10, 2008

More than 100 farm workers are living in tents, sleeping bags and cars in the orchard they've come from Washington state to work in on Thursday night.

The farm workers and their families traveled from Washington state to work in the Kyle Mathison Orchards near Shafter. The orchard is part of the Stemilt Growers Company, which is based out of Wenatchee, Washington.

Related Blog: Realities Of Disneyland And Agriculture

Some are living in tents, others in cars and several were found sleeping on the ground without cover.

Many said they've had to bathe in irrigation water.

A representative from the United Farm Workers Union said the workers were lured to Kern County with the dream of an opportunity. The UFW said the farm workers feel like they have been duped, because they still aren't even hired.

One of the farm workers said, "I asked where do we shower? And he said 'There's the water hole.' ... and there's ducks and fish! I asked, 'We shower there?! Where do the women shower?!' He said the same place."

Another farm worker said, "I came from Washington state. We came here to work, but they haven't treated us like they should and we're a little worried because we may not have enough money to go back to Washington."

ABC23 left a message at the company's headquarters for comment, which was closed Thursday night.

Stemilt is a major company in the agriculture industry. According to its Web site, it's the largest shipper of fresh-market sweet cherries in the world.

Links We Like
For a low-maintenance, hardy garden, perennials are the key. Use these helpful tips to spruce up your garden today. More

The bottom line is that no employer really cares what your next door neighbor thinks of your work effort. Find out what else is wrong with personal references. More

Pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant? Learn about the changes in you each week with our 40-week guide. More

Check out these great tips for turning your house into a money making machine. More

Like online video? Then you'll love Now See This.

Links We Like includes a selection of information, tools and resources from our partners and sponsors.
Sponsored Links
Consumer Info

Sponsored Content Provided by ARA