3 p.m. today at Fresno Ag Commissioner’s office
Gerawan workers protest inaction over company violation of pesticide laws in 2013
Dozens of Gerawan Farming workers will protest outside the Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner’s office at 3 p.m. today, demanding officials quickly impose penalties on the giant grower after members of a large crew of its peach workers reported symptoms of poisoning during an August 2013 incident in which the company was found to have broken state law. Some of the participating Gerawan workers were victims of the incident 18 months ago.
The workers will present recently collected petitions with more than 28,000 signatures urging the agricultural commissioner to impose a fine on Gerawan.
Workers contacted the United Farm Workers after suffering poisoning symptoms at the Gerawan peach orchard. The UFW filed a formal report on their behalf. Fifteen months later, an agricultural commissioner report concluded that Gerawan violated the law (3CCR Section 6118) by failing to notify or warn workers the field had been sprayed with toxic pesticides. The official report’s findings, after interviewing 43 fieldworkers, concluded that 31 of them noticed a smell or odor and 13 related symptoms, from headache, nausea and stomach aches to frequent restroom stops and itchiness. Thirty-three workers didn’t know the area had been sprayed before entering the orchard and 23 didn’t see any warning signs.
The inspector wrote in the report that pesticide application law requires an employer to “assure prior notice of a scheduled pesticide application is given to employees working on their property unless the treated area is posted or the employer assures employees will not enter or walk within a quarter mile of the treated area.”
The workers are protesting the delay in imposing a fine on Gerawan and urging the agency to set a precedent so such incidents are not repeated.
WHO: Dozens of Gerawan workers, including some who reported symptoms of poisoning by pesticides.
WHAT: Protest demanding action by the Fresno agricultural commissioner against Gerawan over a 2013 pesticide-poisoning incident during which state law was violated.
WHEN: 3 p.m., Friday, March 6, 2015.
WHERE: Agricultural Commissioner’s office, 1720 So. Maple Ave., Fresno 93702.
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