Amazon Labor Union President Comes to Healdsburg Speaking to Protesting Farm Workers

istock_100519_farms
istock_100519_farms

Kamada Kaori/iStock

Founder and president of the Amazon Labor Union is lending support to North Bay farm workers. Chris Smalls joined over 100 farm workers on Friday protesting Vino Farms in Healdsburg over unsafe working conditions. Before that, he gave a keynote speech at the We the Future Social Justice Conference held at Santa Rosa Junior College, supporting the farm laborers’ cause. Former workers say that harmful chemicals, such as the pesticide Roundup, are being used by the vineyard management company. Workers are asking for hazard pay protection, better working conditions, safety training in their native languages and income supplements to compensate for work lost to natural disasters. In an interview with the Press Democrat, Chris Smalls said, “If they can stay resilient and stay together, they should absolutely be successful in their demands.” He added that the farm workers demands are not monstrous and are “really basic human rights.”