Maine Monitor Advocate

The State Monitor Advocate:

• Collaborates with stakeholders to monitor and perform outreach to Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFWs) at their working, living, and gathering places
• Monitors services provided to MSFWs at Maine Career Centers
• Facilitates and monitors the Employment Service and Employment-Related Law Complaint System, which helps resolve labor-related complaints, and
• Promotes and monitors the Agricultural Recruitment System for U.S. workers, which connects job seekers who need employment to employers who need workers.

Current Helpful Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a serious safety and health risk to farmworkers who often work, live, and are transported in close proximity to each other. Widespread illness among farmworkers could significantly impact the nation’s food supply. The CDC and OSHA have issued guidelines for safe workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), provided here are recently updated CDC and OSHA COVID-19-related guidance for agricultural employers (and workplaces in general) to follow safety and health practices to safeguard their farms and employees against  exposure to COVID-19.

• Agriculture as critical infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has designated farmers and farmworkers “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers” (see below).CISA advises that promoting the ability of such workers to continue to work during periods of community restriction, access management, social distancing, or closure orders/directives is crucial to community resilience and continuity of essential functions.
• Safety guidance for agricultural workers. OSHA, in collaboration with CDC, published Interim Guidance for Agriculture Workers and Employers (see below). Additionally, the CDC published Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (see below).

The following are some federal resources (including resources in Spanish) that may be taken into consideration:

• Essential Critical Infrastructure  Workers per CISA: https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workforce
• Interim Guidance for Agriculture Workers and Employers  per OSHA/CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-agricultural-workers.html
• Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers Responding to COVID-19 per CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
• How to Protect Yourself and Others, which includes some resources in Spanish: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
• Social media toolkit in Spanish: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/social-media-toolkit-es.html 
• Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/critical-workers/implementing-safety-practices.html
• US Department of Labor COVID-19 related resources: https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus 
• Ten Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk of Exposure to Coronavirus (English): https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3994.pdf
• Ten Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk of Exposure to Coronavirus (Spanish): https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3995.pdf
• Households Living in Close Quarters Guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/living-in-close-quarters.html
• Health Resources and Services Administration Data Warehouse to Identify the Health Center Nearest You: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

Related Publications

• Map of Major Crop Growing Areas in Maine
• Maine Employee Rights Guide
• Guía de Derechos de Empleados en Maine
• Tips for a Healthy Back for Farmworkers (PDF)
• Consejos para una Espalda Saludable (PDF)