TUCSON— Today, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to cut the wages of essential farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic:

“As farmworkers brave wildfires and a pandemic to pick the food that ends up on America’s tables, the Trump Administration is cutting their wages to appease the agriculture industry. Throughout the pandemic, farmworkers have risked their lives, their health, and their families to ensure that our grocery store shelves are stocked and our food supply is secure. This decision is a slap in the face to all those deemed ‘essential’ to the workforce, but treated as expendable.

“The Adverse Effect Wage Rate is meant to protect farmworkers from exploitation at the hands of greedy individuals looking to maximize profits at the expense of basic rights. Instead of cutting their pay, we should be offering essential workers like farmworkers hazard pay to compensate them for them exemplary work. The administration must reverse this decision immediately.”

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