COLUMBUS, Ohio – Migrant workers play a major role in the agriculture industry, but often face discrimination and violence in and out of the workplace.
Mónica Ramírez is the founder and president of the organization Justice for Migrant Women.
Ramírez spoke with Spectrum News 1 anchor and reporter Chuck Ringwalt about the challenges migrant farmworkers are facing as they navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know that the state has issued madates for 27 other industries in our state. Agriculture is one of the biggest and most important industries in the state of Ohio, so we don’t understand how it’s possible that it could be overlooked or not prioiritized for purposes of coming up with standards during this COVID crisis,” she said.
Ramírez said migrant farmworkers are just as vulnerable to the coronavirus as anyone else and they need to see action from the state mandating that migrant farmworkers are classified as essential workers.
