About
The Texas Farmworker Coalition (TFC) was created in February 2021 to advocate for and promote the comprehensive well-being of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers. We achieve this by strengthening partnerships among workers, their families, and service organizations in Texas and migrating states.
The TFC set the following as its primary objectives:
- To expand and facilitate collaboration between providers who serve farmworker populations within Texas.
- To increase providers’ knowledge of farmworkers’ needs in Texas and available resources.
- To improve providers’ abilities to deliver high-quality services to farmworkers throughout Texas.
The TFC is dedicated to the following purpose:
- To increase the knowledge of and access to services available to migrant workers, seasonal agricultural workers, and their families.
Who are we referring to when we use the terms migrant, seasonal, and H-2A farmworkers?
The term “migrant agricultural worker” is defined in the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (AWPA)[1] as someone who’s engaged in agricultural work of a “seasonal or other temporary nature, and who is required to be absent overnight from [their] permanent place of residence,” excluding immediate family members of agricultural employers, 29 U.S. Code § 1802 (8) (A). thus, employers, including Farm Labor Contractors (FLCs),[2] who recruit migrant workers normally offer and provide temporary housing to them.
Migrant farmworkers may migrate somewhere within the state in which they live or to another state to find and engage in agricultural employment.
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[1] The AWPA was passed in 1983, and it’s a federal law that covers both agricultural employers and farm labor contractors. Although the AWPA defines the terms “migrant agricultural worker” and “agriculture,” other laws do as well. E.g., the USDA and the IRS have similar but varying definitions, so beware of which definitions apply to the program funds you’re using.
[2] Agricultural employers are covered by AWPA if they engage in any of the following activities with migrant or seasonal farmworkers: Furnish, Recruit, Employ, Solicit, Hire, or Transport (a popular acronym to remember these activities by is “F-R-E-S-H-T”).
The term “seasonal agricultural worker,” as opposed to “migrant agricultural worker,” is defined by the AWPA as someone who’s engaged in agricultural work of a “seasonal or other temporary nature, and is not required to be absent overnight from [their] permanent place of residence,” excluding any immediate family members of agricultural employers, 29 U.S. Code § 1802 (10) (A).
Seasonal workers are not required to travel long distances to engage in agricultural employment; thus, recruiters, like FLCs, are not inclined to provide housing to avoid, in part, the additional expense.
This means that seasonal workers stay in their individual permanent places of residence throughout the harvests, making it more difficult for service providers to identify them during outreach.
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[1] The AWPA does not apply to H-2A guest workers.
The H-2A guestworker program allows agricultural employers in the United States to bring in nonimmigrant foreign farmworkers to the U.S. to fill employment vacancies, but only when employers can prove there is a shortage of domestic workers.
Employers must submit an application and “clearance order” to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), containing the terms and conditions of work, which are governed by the H-2A regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is our mission?
To advocate for and promote comprehensive well-being and health access for migrant and seasonal agricultural workers and their families by empowering and strengthening partnerships among workers, their families, and service organizations in Texas and migrating states.
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What is our vision?
To increase the knowledge of and access to services available to migrant and seasonal agricultural workers and their families.
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How often does the Coalition meet?
The Coalition meets virtually every 4th Wednesday of the month at 2 pm Central Time.
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Who can join the Coalition?
Any organization that provides resources or services to farmworkers and their families.
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Interested in presenting to the Coalition?
Contact