A Labor Day good news story: Port of LA supports United Farm Workers during Covid-19 crisis

As we reported last May in our “Top 30 Ports” feature, ocean cargo gateways in North America generally have numerous safeguards and strong financial cushion on their side in being able to weather the sizable ripple effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Fitch Ratings, The Port of Los Angeles is among the most resilient entrepots in the nation. 

But that does not mean that the port will be a complacent observer of the crisis while the pandemic still rages across the continent. Proof of that was made clear recently when it teamed with Logistics Victory Los Angeles (LoVLA) and CMA CGM Group to donate 75,000 respiratory face masks to the United Farm Workers of America.

This storied union which represents farm workers and is actively advocating for the health and safety of all farm workers who continue to work outdoors during the plague and extremely hot conditions this fall.

Founded in 1962 by the late civil rights leader César Chávez and other early organizers, the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) is the nation’s first enduring and largest farm workers' union. The UFW continues organizing in major agricultural regions, with union contracts in California, Oregon and Washington state.

Recent years have witnessed dozens of new or re-negotiated UFW agreements protecting thousands of vegetable, berry, wine grape, tomato, dairy and mushroom workers. The UFW continues to actively champion legislative and regulatory reforms for farm workers covering issues such as worker protections, pesticides, heat and immigration reform. In 2016, the union won a law for the first time, covering California farm workers with overtime pay after eight hours a day phased in over four years.

“It is unconscionable that farm workers still lack basic protections, like masks, during a global pandemic,” said Ron Herrera, President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “There is nothing more fundamental to life than food and water, yet the very workers who pick our food and provide us with life are unnecessarily putting their own lives at risk. 

Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles observes that reaching out and assisting the United Farm Workers is directly aligned with his mission to help keep workers stay safe and assist in the re-emergence of our state and nation’s economy.

Indeed, this comes at a time when The Port of Los Angeles is focused on bringing more agricultural exports to overseas markets. Soybeans and grains have been among the port’s top exports for the past few years. And along with other Pacific Rim gateways, exports fruit and vegetables from California’s Central Valley and alfalfa from Imperial Valley to a number of global markets.

Meanwhile, the port remains open with all terminals operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $276 billion in trade during 2019. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.

Finally, it should be noted that Seroka will again be among the keynote speakers featured in 2020 USC Marshall Global Supply Chain Excellence Summit when it convenes for its eighth annual iteration October 13-14.

According to organizers, shippers may expect the same high quality of content in this virtual event as was provided in past “live” meetings. Again, too, there will a highly-focused discussion of humanitarian logistics, which relies on all ports for distribution of urgent medical services and supplies.

These include the FFP2 respirator masks—the European equivalent to N95— now being shipped to farmworkers. Cheers to that, and God Speed.