Our Food System Is Killing People. Big Ag Wants To Keep It That Way.

The Department of Labor is creating the first-ever federal safety standard for extreme heat in the workplace. Farmworkers told us they’re laboring under deadly heat with no shade, few breaks, and little water. They need strong, enforced heat protections to save their lives.

Video credits:
Host: Victoria Bouloubasis
DP: Pilar Timpane
2nd DP: Timothy Wolfer
Drone: Justin Cook
Producer: Katie Nixdorf
Editor: Ian McKenna
Production Manager: Isabel Atalaya
Production Assistant: Jodi Clemens

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We report on the real struggles and challenges of the working class from a working-class perspective, and we attempt to connect those problems to potential solutions.

We report on the abuses and wrongdoings of corporate power, and we seek to hold accountable the ultra-rich who have too much power over America’s political and economic systems.

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[_f_]

“Workers are completely tied to the employers who bring them here” THAT IS SLAVERY

[ndjubilant]

I don't watch horror movies. Real life is scarier. This needs to stop happening.

[Keatwonobe]

The thing that kills me every time is that we know people need water. We very scientifically know how long disallowing people to drink water will kill them in variable humidity and temperature conditions through years of experimentation and data collection. These deaths are tantamount to murder in my view.

[jujublue]

Even I who work minimum wage am allowed to drink water whenever I need it, it's a basic right and people exploiting them can't even respect that.

[dvdv]

“This country has socialism for the rich, rugged individualism for the poor." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Still as true as ever today.

[dvdv]

Greed is not the desire for more, it's the desire for more at the expense of others.

[Pallasathena-hvkp]

Gotta love Governor of Texas Abbott for disallowing cities/areas from enforcing water break rules. He’s a bastard.

[alexpeltier]

Inhumane. Even at 18 in a factory job with no AC, we would pray for the temp to be over 90. At that temp, my state protections required us be given an extra afternoon break and water, and enough time to drink it. (Ironically I live in a cold state).

We would have everyone go into a room that was kept fairly cold, watch a bit of TV, drink our water, and sometimes get popsicles. 15 minutes, but prevented many injuries and problems in the manufacturing line. Why can’t people literally feeding us get this?

[dvdv]

11 days... The guy worked for ONLY ELEVEN DAYS and it killed him.

Unbelievable.

Justice and humane working conditions for these workers, please!! 🙏😤

[angeliquerider-mitchell]

Human beings should never be treated with such disregard. The fact that all the farmer's consider is dollars and cents and not the lives of their employees makes me wonder who raised these people? Who influenced them during their formative years to grow up being ok treating fellow human beings inhumanely? We're all just brothers and sisters from different mothers and misters.

THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!

The red states are already taking away what little protections workers had. While simultaneously pushing laws that lower the age to be employed. How long until it's one of our kids being treated like...animals? Slaves? I don't know, I don't have the words without cussing to describe what this is. Oh also, don't think it's a coincidence that these same law makers are gutting funding to our public school system and vilifying teachers. An educated population is difficult to control and exploit.

[phaedrussmith]

The word "work" should never be conflated with the word "job." The difference is profound and important. When I mow the lawn, it's work. When I sell myself on a temporary basis to the marketplace, it's a job.

[saltyp]

Stockholder greed causes this....regulate the market.

[Eric-bhjy]

Just to be clear. It’s not because they are low skill workers. Corporations treat Nurses, Drs, APPs all the same. Everyone is replaceable and disposable..

[BellinghamOtto]

I'm 54 and my wife and I are VERY worried about our future, gas and food prices rising daily. We have had our savings dwindle with the cost of living into the stratosphere, and we are finding it impossible to replace them. We can get by, but can't seem to get ahead. My condolences to anyone retiring in this crisis, 30 years nonstop just for a crooked system to take all you worked for.

[mbqikyq]

What kind of farmer does not provide water for the humans that pick his crop?? I would not want anyone dying on my farm due to lack of water

[Ghost-Mama]

This is why we need unions to protect the workers and their human rights!! Everyone Unionize for YOUR best benefits!! 💙✊🏻💙

[dvdv]

Profits over human lives.

That's what this is. Undeniably.

[richardlin]

If a business can't exist without exploitation of human labor, then it shouldn't exist.

[GoodMenstruationAttitude]

Got sun poisoning bad doing roofing in the sunbelt. Refused to work through it the next day - had huge open sores covering both arms - was promptly fired and luckily, that was the day I quit roofing.

[JARV]

In this era, every hardship people is enduring is manmade. The point is to make people suffer because the people on top are psychos.