Title
Missouri
Creator
Xiomara Segovia
State
Missouri
State Laws
Missouri state laws provide protections for workers in agriculture.
Workers also have additional protection from the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which these laws ensure workers are treated fairly and have access to safe and healthy working and living conditions.
- Missouri Minimum Wage Law: minimum wage rate that must be paid to all employees is $10.30 hr.
- Workers' Compensation Law: benefits to workers who are injured on the job
- Missouri Agricultural Labor Law: Protection such as prohibiting harm against workers who file complaints
- Missouri Youth Employment Law: obtain work permits for minors and have restrictions on the types of work and hours worked by minors.
- The law requires that housing for migrant workers is safe, clean, and habitable
- Anyone who owns or operates a migrant labor camp must obtain a license from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
- Migrant labor camps must be inspected by the department to ensure they meet the requirements of the law.
- Charging fees for visas and travel costs is illegal
-Farm labor contractors are required to house, transport, or drive a migrant or seasonal agricultural worker
Workers also have additional protection from the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which these laws ensure workers are treated fairly and have access to safe and healthy working and living conditions.
- Missouri Minimum Wage Law: minimum wage rate that must be paid to all employees is $10.30 hr.
- Workers' Compensation Law: benefits to workers who are injured on the job
- Missouri Agricultural Labor Law: Protection such as prohibiting harm against workers who file complaints
- Missouri Youth Employment Law: obtain work permits for minors and have restrictions on the types of work and hours worked by minors.
- The law requires that housing for migrant workers is safe, clean, and habitable
- Anyone who owns or operates a migrant labor camp must obtain a license from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
- Migrant labor camps must be inspected by the department to ensure they meet the requirements of the law.
- Charging fees for visas and travel costs is illegal
-Farm labor contractors are required to house, transport, or drive a migrant or seasonal agricultural worker
Reporting System
Type of Violations and the Reporting Systems
Violations of the Missouri Migrant Farm Labor Law related to wages.
- workers can file a complaint with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Division of Labor Standards.
-Complaints can be filed online, by mail, or by phone.
Violations of the Missouri Migrant Farm Labor Law related to housing.
-workers can file a complaint with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Migrant workers can also contact legal aid organizations for assistance with filing a complaint or pursuing legal action.
Examples of organizations that provide legal assistance to migrant workers in Missouri.
-The Missouri Migrant Council are two organizations that provide legal assistance to migrant workers in Missouri.
Something important people should know is that retaliation against a worker for filing a complaint or participating in an investigation is illegal under state and federal law.
Violations of the Missouri Migrant Farm Labor Law related to wages.
- workers can file a complaint with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Division of Labor Standards.
-Complaints can be filed online, by mail, or by phone.
Violations of the Missouri Migrant Farm Labor Law related to housing.
-workers can file a complaint with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Migrant workers can also contact legal aid organizations for assistance with filing a complaint or pursuing legal action.
Examples of organizations that provide legal assistance to migrant workers in Missouri.
-The Missouri Migrant Council are two organizations that provide legal assistance to migrant workers in Missouri.
Something important people should know is that retaliation against a worker for filing a complaint or participating in an investigation is illegal under state and federal law.
Housing/Farm inspection System
The Department's Bureau of Environmental Health Services is responsible for enforcing the law's housing standards and conducts inspections of migrant labor camps annually or if a complaint is filed. This is a must to ensure that workers have access to safe and healthy housing during the growing season.
If the inspector is to find violations, a citation may be issued, requiring the camp's owner or operator to correct the violations within a certain timeframe. The department may also revoke the camp's license if the violations are not corrected.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division also conducts investigations of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers' employment.
- wage and hour violations
- mistreatment.
-When there are inspections on H-2A housing two types of federal laws are used based on the location, which has to be inspected before workers start living there.
-If the place was built before 04-1-1980 the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration regulations are the ones who inspect. If it was after that date it is incepted by using a form designed by “the Occupational Safety and Health Administration instead.”
“When we opened the fridge door,” the investigator’s affidavit reads, “we discovered an old mattress.”
If the inspector is to find violations, a citation may be issued, requiring the camp's owner or operator to correct the violations within a certain timeframe. The department may also revoke the camp's license if the violations are not corrected.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division also conducts investigations of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers' employment.
- wage and hour violations
- mistreatment.
-When there are inspections on H-2A housing two types of federal laws are used based on the location, which has to be inspected before workers start living there.
-If the place was built before 04-1-1980 the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration regulations are the ones who inspect. If it was after that date it is incepted by using a form designed by “the Occupational Safety and Health Administration instead.”
“When we opened the fridge door,” the investigator’s affidavit reads, “we discovered an old mattress.”
Migrant Labor/Health Rights Groups or Organizations
Research has shown that working in agriculture can be dangerous.
Farmworkers are exposed
-chemicals
-machinery
-animals
-repetitive motions
-extreme weather
- long work hours
-noxious gases
-agricultural dust
-elevated noise levels
- Due to this exposure can lead to an increase in the risk of occupational injury and both acute and long-term health problems.
-The workers can go through high levels of stress and lack adequate healthcare services because of the size and density of CAFOs, workers are exposed to so many things
Some organizations that work with migrant health and labor issues in Missouri
-Centro Latino of Missouri
-Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates: Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates (MIRA)
-Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project
Farmworkers are exposed
-chemicals
-machinery
-animals
-repetitive motions
-extreme weather
- long work hours
-noxious gases
-agricultural dust
-elevated noise levels
- Due to this exposure can lead to an increase in the risk of occupational injury and both acute and long-term health problems.
-The workers can go through high levels of stress and lack adequate healthcare services because of the size and density of CAFOs, workers are exposed to so many things
Some organizations that work with migrant health and labor issues in Missouri
-Centro Latino of Missouri
-Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates: Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates (MIRA)
-Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project
Available Migrant Health Centers in State
-Bernie Medical and Dental Center
https://www.semohealthnetwork.org/centers/bernie/bernie-dental-center/
-Southeast Missouri Health Network
https://www.semohealthnetwork.org
https://www.semohealthnetwork.org/centers/bernie/bernie-dental-center/
-Southeast Missouri Health Network
https://www.semohealthnetwork.org
Resources in Spanish
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/49-mspa/espanol
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/77c-mspa-prohibiting-retaliation/espanol
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/77c-mspa-prohibiting-retaliation/espanol