UC Merced Community and Labor Center

NEW MAJOR REPORT: Farmworker Health in California: Health in a Time of Contagion, Drought, and Climate Change. One of the largest academic studies ever conducted on the health and well-being of farmworkers in the country. Conducted in 6 languages. Report: bit.ly/40oIAjX

🔗🔗🔗Read the full report: clc.ucmerced.edu/sites/g/files/…

NEW REPORT | The @ucmerced CLC released a first-of-its-kind national analysis, finding that state-level im migration enforcement escalations are associated with downturns in the number of persons reporting having worked in the private sector. #immigrantworkers

Full house today as we kick off the Central Valley Worker Rights Training Series-designed to assist CBOs support workers in asserting and accessing their rights. Today’s Wage Theft Training is led by our partners @LegalAidAtWork! Stay tuned for more opportunities… #WorkerRights

#ICYMI This past week We hosted the Rural Prosperity Roundtable: Building a Healthy Future for California’s Rural Communities at UC Merced, alongside Senator Anna Caballero and NORC. Thanks to all attendees for being part of this important conversation. #RuralHealth #Childcare

@latimes covered our new research brief showing a sharp decline in California private-sector jobs after federal immigration enforcement intensified in 2025—impacting both non-citizen and U.S. citizen workers. #CaliforniaEconomy #JobsData Full Story: latimes.com/california/sto…

According to new UCM CLC analysis: Escalations in federal immigration enforcement have impacted California’s private sector jobs. 🔗Read the full story: fresnobee.com/news/local/art… #Immigration

📣 📣 Now accepting applications for the Futuros Campesinos Grant! For more information scan the QR code or visit clc.ucmerced.edu/grants-opportu… 📣 📣

That’s a wrap for 2025 Rural Organizing Academy (ROA)! Thanks to the organizers who came to learn and connect with other organizers building worker and community power across the Central Valley and state. See you back soon for ROA 2026!#WorkerPower #RuralOrganizers

New op-ed identifies the economic harms of the mass deportation initiative and the lack of immigration reform, and makes the case for business leaders to advance broad-based coalitions with worker and immigrant rights groups. Read the full story: bizjournals.com/sacramento/new…

Today, we released the South Central Valley Community Needs Assessment—the largest study of its kind on one of the most disinvested regions in the nation. Its findings on labor, community, and the environment call for urgent policy action to address long-standing neglect.

Thank you to our Valley SEED partners who participated in the Central Valley Community Gardens and Farms Tour - which offered valuable insights into sustainable gardening, farming practices, and the development of gardens, farms, and worker cooperatives. 🚜🌱 #SustainableFarming

Big thanks to all who joined the first UC screening of #AmericanAgitators — honoring Fred Ross Sr. and the fight for workers' rights! Appreciate our panel: Director Raymond Telles, UFW’s Armando Elenes & #Fightfor15’s Guadalupe Palma.

Leading scholars warn that the US is on the path to authoritarianism-targeting immigrants, workers & unions in unprecedented ways, while aided by inexplicable Supreme Court rulings. This #LaborDay, show your support for the rights of immigrants, workers & unions everywhere.

California's richest agricultural family is shuttering a farm the UFW sought to unionize latimes.com/california/sto…

Alerta de calor extremo en CA. 43% de los trabajadores agrícolas dicen que sus empleadores no les dan un plan de prevención contra enfermedades por calor, como exige la ley estatal. Protégete: mantente fresco, hidratado y seguro.

🚨 CA is under an excessive heat warning. Stay cool, stay hydrated, stay safe. According to our Farmworker Health Study - Nearly half (43%) of farmworkers reported their employer never provided a heat illness prevention plan as mandated under CA state law.

New UC Merced study reveals: Private-sector employment in California dropped 3.1% between May & June 2025. This marks the largest one-month decline outside of the COVID-19 pandemic and Great Recession, following unprecedented ICE raid surge. @latimes latimes.com/business/story…

Congratulations to our 2025 UC Merced Labor Summer Internship Cohort ! A special thank you to our Host Sites for mentoring and guiding the next generation of labor leaders. Together, we will continue to build worker power in California’s Central Valley! #LABORSUMMER #UCMCLC

“Layoffs, store closures and offloading organized worksites are all part of the anti-unionism playbook,” said Ana Padilla, Executive Director of @UCMercedCLC An important read by @MelissaGomez004 with the LA Times