Concerns heightened for farmworkers as another heat wave hits Washington

As temperatures continued to climb, Victoria Ruddy made her way to dozens of apple and pear fields in the lower Yakima Valley early Thursday morning.

With a group of volunteers, Ruddy raced to deliver water and vital information about heat-related illnesses directly to farmworkers who continued to toil under the brutal heat.

Another heat wave is encompassing much of Washington state this week, with temperatures across central and eastern regions of the state breaking into the 100s Friday and throughout the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

The dangers of heat stress have been a big concern during this year’s scorching summer. After June’s devastating heat wave killed hundreds in the Pacific Northwest, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries released emergency rules to provide farmworkers and other outdoor workers with additional protections from heat-related illness.

But Ruddy, Pacific Northwest regional director for the United Farm Workers union, said she saw no noticeable changes to address worker safety at the nearly 50 work sites organizers and 24 volunteers visited Thursday.

Though most had water stations, she said she saw not one site with access to shade, even when temperatures reached 100 in some areas. Volunteers noticed workers in some fields only had the water they brought themselves, left without water stations or spaces to give respite from the heat.

“It’s pretty clear that there’s just not strong enough rules in place to protect farmworkers from these kinds of conditions,” Ruddy said. “Rules don’t implement themselves.”

Volunteers and organizers have been handing out fliers to ensure workers know their rights under the new heat rules. They also provide information about heat exhaustion symptoms to look out for, like dizziness, excessive sweating, nausea and cramps, as well as heatstroke symptoms.

UFW has prioritized giving direct aid to workers, rather than immediately filing complaints with L&I, said Elizabeth Strater, a UFW organizer. This shift in focus was made, she said, because there hasn’t been a noticeable response from the agency after reporting workplace violations, Strater said.

L&I was unable to immediately provide a total number of heat-related complaints Thursday, but confirmed UFW recently reported two incidents. One is currently under investigation by the state agency, according to spokesperson Dina Lorraine.

Jon Devaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association said growers are mindful of the heat and its effects. Familiar with safety measures, he said employers have responded accordingly and are making sure workers are staying hydrated and taking breaks when temperatures hit 100 degrees.

DeVaney said growers are also monitoring for heat stress, and some have also shifted work schedules around peak heat. But that’s more unrealistic, he said, when hot temperatures are continuous.

One hundred-plus degree days persisted in Central and Eastern Washington’s agricultural regions through much of July.

“People are thinking about the safety of the people who work in their food system, and … that awareness is a good thing,” DeVaney said. “But I think it’s really important that people understand that our state has already been a leader in ensuring that people working in agriculture are protected from key risks in the summer.”

Devaney has held several conversations with growers statewide, who have relayed they were already following the rules and just have to monitor conditions to know when to implement the new state requirements.

But working conditions are “unbearable” even when temperatures are in the 90s, said Ruddy, who says shade access and enforced rest breaks should not have to wait for temperatures to climb to 100.

Outdoor workers don’t only have to worry about the harsh sun, but also face risks to their health from wildfire smoke exposure. By noon on Thursday, smoke in lower Yakima Valley was so thick that one could not see 15 feet in front of them, Ruddy said.

“To see people out working in these conditions without any kind of protections really was difficult to see,” Ruddy said. “It’s been exhausting.”

Heat illnesses are preventable, but a July 29 worker fatality at a south-central Washington hops farm, she said, shows the state lacks effective rules and implementation.

Florencio Guetas Vargas was found midafternoon slumped by the step of his tractor after the end of his shift when temperatures hovered in the low 90s, according to the employer, at a farm near Toppenish where he worked. The Yakima County Coroner’s Office attributed his death to atherosclerotic disease with environmental heat as a contributing factor.

Volunteers have also checked in on farmworkers in Grandview, Mattawa, and other agricultural communities. Among them is UFW volunteer Chelsea Dimas, who visits Sunnyside fields, up to six times a week.

The safety of farmworkers “who put food on our tables” has taken a back seat, she said. “We don’t want to just care when it gets hot … we want to care all the time and ensure that they have equal rights.”

Dimas, who is running for Sunnyside city council, said the June heat wave stirred memories of working in cherry orchards when she was 12. She recalled trying to climb a ladder on an especially hot day, and falling off when she became lightheaded because of the heat.

“It feels like nothing has changed,” she said.