Food systems workers have been notably absent from discussions about building a just and sustainable food system in Massachusetts, despite the fact that they are employed in some of America’s most labor intensive industries in some of the lowest paying jobs. Currently information on labor conditions and labor practices in the Massachusetts food chain is spread across a diverse set of workers' organizations, non-profits, employers and government agencies. The aim of this one-day conference is to bring together stakeholders including farm owners/employers, farm and retail food workers, farm worker representatives, worker activists, government, and university faculty and students to begin to share what we know about the problems and conditions these workers face, and to take the first step in developing a research and action plan to address how to improve labor conditions as part of the quest for a just and sustainable Massachusetts food system.
Hosted by the Pioneer Valley Workers Center at UMass Amherst.