Harvesting Hope: A Conversation About Farmworker Rights

From the fields of California’s central valley to the halls of the Wage and Hour Division, Regional Enforcement Coordinator Ruben Lugo’s story is one of passion and dedication to farmworkers’ rights. We chatted with him recently to learn about his remarkable career.

Q: When did you begin working for the Wage and Hour Division?

I started in 1995 as an investigator in Sacramento, where I developed a deep passion for enforcing farmworker protections. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to contribute to hundreds of successful investigations in the agricultural industry. 

Now, as a regional enforcement coordinator, I provide technical and strategic assistance to district offices, mentor investigators, conduct regional and national trainings and outreach, and participate in major agricultural investigations throughout the West.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your background.

I grew up in a farmworker community in California’s central valley. My parents worked in the fields, and I started helping them at the age of five because they didn’t have childcare. By age 10, I experienced firsthand the hardships of farm labor by earning a meager wage. I recall being transported by a “raitero” (a person who provides transportation for farmworkers to and from the work site for a fee) to pick tomatoes and plums; by the end of the week, I only made $8.00 after paying the raitero.

I vividly remember picking grapes in the scorching 105-degree heat, and jokingly telling my dad that I’d be the one turning into a raisin before the grapes. That’s when I vowed to pursue higher education to avoid a future in the fields.

During high school, I worked for a non-profit agency funded by the Department of Labor, assisting farmworker youth in finding non-agricultural employment. My first job outside of agriculture was supervising elementary students in an after-school program.

Now, I find myself back in the fields, but in a different role – enforcing the rights of farmworkers who are much like my parents.

Q: You’re passionate about safe transportation for farmworkers. Can you explain why it’s so important to you?

Ensuring safe transportation for farmworkers is vital. Throughout my career, I’ve encountered horrific cases where farmworkers died or suffered severe injures due to unsafe transportation. These investigations are heart-wrenching, and I’ve witnessed the grief of families torn apart by preventable tragedies. I vividly recall a father mourning the loss of his son, who died when the raitero’s van exploded in fire following a horrific crash. Each morning, he would bid farewell to his son, never imagining it would be their last exchange. 

Another case involved a 16-year-old losing her life on her first day of work due to a fatigued driver who fell asleep at the wheel. 

Recently, I’ve been working on a case in which eight workers died in a head-on collision. Tragically, they weren’t wearing seatbelts. These incidents underscore the urgent need for safer transportation practices.

Q: As you reflect on your career, are there any thoughts you’d like to share?

Tragic accidents serve as a constant reminder of the critical importance of safer transportation practices in the agricultural sector. I consistently emphasize to our new investigators that by actively identifying and responding to unsafe transportation practices, they have the power to become heroes, potentially saving farmworkers’ lives.

As I approach retirement, my hope is to leave behind a legacy of instilling a passion for agricultural investigations and outreach in my colleagues. They’ll carry on the agency’s mission of protecting America’s most vulnerable workers and striving for a safer and more compliant agricultural industry. 

#Careers #PublicService #GovernmentJobs #FarmworkerAwarenessWeek