New Solutions
Volume 21, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 251-268

Wages, wage violations, and pesticide safety experienced by migrant farmworkers in North Carolina (Article)

Robinson E. , Nguyen H.T. , Isom S. , Quandt S.A. , Grzywacz J.G. , Chen H. , Arcury T.A.*
  • a Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
  • b Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
  • c Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, United States
  • d Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
  • e Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States
  • f Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, United States
  • g Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States

Abstract

Farmworkers have the potential to receive wages that fail to meet minimum wage standards. This analysis describes wages and minimum wage violations among farmworkers, and it determines associations of wage violations with personal characteristics and pesticide safety regulation violations. Data are from a cross-sectional survey of 300 eastern North Carolina farmworkers conducted in June through August, 2009. Most farmworkers (90.0%) were paid by the hour, but 11.7 percent received piece-rate pay. Wage violations were prevalent among farmworkers: 18.3 percent of all farmworkers, 45.3 percent of farmworkers without H-2A visas, and 3.6 percent of farmworkers with H-2A visas experienced wage violations. Most farmworkers experienced numerous pesticide safety violations. Personal characteristics were not associated with wage violations among farmworkers without H-2A visas, but some pesticide safety violations were associated with wage violations. The association of violations indicates that some growers generally violate regulations. Greater enforcement of all regulations is needed. © 2011, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.

Author Keywords

Wage theft minority health health disparities occupational health

Index Keywords

education health disparity Health Status Disparities human statistics North Carolina Agriculture policy Salaries and Fringe Benefits salary and fringe benefit Cross-Sectional Studies United States Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans Adolescent male female occupational exposure pesticide questionnaire Pesticides Article Questionnaires adult migration legal aspect occupational health Transients and Migrants public policy crime
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84862833618&doi=10.2190%2fNS.21.2.h&partnerID=40&md5=4c7b84f6a80135a1bf3e57695c1206eb
DOI: 10.2190/NS.21.2.h
ISSN: 10482911
Cited by: 29
Original Language: English