Source: The Imperial Valley Press
“There are many cases that will never come out due to lack of confidence and (lack of) a protection system,”
During a recent interview, Garcia said the problem of sexual harassment exists in many settings, including inside the Capitol.
Most recently, Garcia and his colleagues have been attempting to increase protections available to farm workers.
“We have been reviewing the laws that exist to protect farm workers. Before the #MeToo Movement, led by women at the national level, thousands and thousands of farm workers have suffered this problem,” he said.
Lawmakers, he said, should work to ensure there are protections against sexual harassment on farms and procedures to support women who work in agricultural fields.
Last year, he recalled, there was a proposal to increase the responsibility of contractors who have workers under their care.
Contracted labor can create extra distance between the employee and the farmer so that workers aren’t necessarily sure where to file a complaint for sexual harassment.
“There are many cases that will never come out due to lack of confidence and (lack of) a protection system,” he said.
For the assembly member, the authorities should have no tolerance for this problem but, at the same time, have a procedure that protects those affected.
He said the importance of protecting workers and women in the fields should be reinforced. Garcia said he is working on a bill that gives rural workers greater protections against sexual harassment.
“We are working with our colleagues to look at the issue in the (various) industries and to improve the circumstances,” Garcia said, noting that the allegations began in Hollywood, before moving on to national and international companies.
