I would work all day without taking a break or going for water because I was afraid of getting fired.
--Erika Contreras, farm labor contractor worker

We have to pitch in money to have clean drinking water.
--Juan Martinez Vasquez, pea worker

The foreman drinks the water we bring ourselves.
--Francisco Villasaña, cotton worker

He treats us worse than animals...We don’t have fresh water.
--Juan Negrete, cotton worker

The company did not provide shade for us to use.  
--Juanita Mendoza, grape worker

When someone wants to drink water, the boss gets mad.  
--Imelda Valdivia, grape worker

One foreman carries a gun on his side to scare the workers.
-- Alejandro Gil, cotton worker

They would never take us water. We had to take our own water.
--Gaspar Silva, vegetable worker

Sometimes full days would go by and they would never bring the bathrooms.
---Pedro Zapien, vegetable worker

They place the water on top of a box or on a tailgate of a pickup truck and when a worker goes to drink water, the heat is unbearable.
--Eva Zenteno, grape worker

Being without water is dangerous. We are not camels that can be working without water.
-- Jairo Salin Salosairo Luquez, grape worker

Teodoro Gutierrez noticed dirt in what was supposed to be his crew’s drinking water.  He decided to let his foreman know to change it. Instead of providing workers with clean, drinking water, the foreman threw the dirty water out and left the crew thirsty for the remainder of the hot work day.  “The foreman, they always cheat us,” he said.

Photo: Jocelyn Sherman

Tarino Carlos says his wife Luz is as beautiful today as when they first met.  The only thing he worries about when he thinks of their relationship is what they will do for income when they are both too old to work.  Employed by companies without union contracts, neither have any type of retirement plan.  As he nears 80, he stresses the importance of organizing among his younger coworkers.  "I tell them, wherever there is a union, there is hope."

Photo: Jocelyn Sherman

Valentine Gonzalez’ eyes burn every morning.  It’s from the pesticides sprayed on the grapes the night before.  When working, sometimes he gets thirsty, but there are times when no drinking water is available for hours.  The company pressured workers when they tried to join the UFW to make things better.  “We were told if the union wins, we’d lose,” he said.  “No more work.” 

Photo: Jocelyn Sherman

Manuel Nunez watched one of his female coworkers get fired after failing a required physical fitness test.  She had just had a cesarean section and was not able to lift the weights.  He remembers how she cried.  It made him think of Patricia, his own daughter and how he wants better for her. "I tell her to finish school and get a degree," he said. "That is my hope for her."

Photo: Jocelyn Sherman

Lucila Lopez considers herself a strong woman. A mother of four children, she has worked in grapes for more than 20 years.  A U.S. resident, Lucila says she is tired of pity.  "When we are treated badly, we should blame ourselves. We shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for our rights."

Photo: Jocelyn Sherman

Sabas Arrendondo worked more than five years at the same company before restrooms were installed onsite for workers to use.  During that time, he was forced to work under four different Social Security numbers.  "The majority of farm workers are too scared to organize," he said. "They tell us if we try to join the union, we’ll get fired."

Photo: Jocelyn Sherman

Baltazar Aguirre believes that workers, who feel they are respected, work better. He has been a union member since 1975.  The union, he says, has made it possible for him to own the house he does, benefit from a strong medical plan and enjoy time with his family with paid holidays and vacation time. “Without the union, I would have suffered much more in my life,” he said.

Photo: Isela Pena-Rager

After being sick, Maria Carrillo was forced to pass a physical exam in order for her to return to work. Having to ride a bicycle and lift weights was difficult for Maria. She grew dizzy from the exercises and failed her exam.  She was fired as a result.  “I don’t understand how me taking a physical exam where I have to ride a bike is important,” she said. “I don’t work riding a bike in the fields.”