Migrant Seasonal Farm Workers (Job Seekers)

If you are a Migrant Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW), Monitor Advocates at the national, regional, and state level help to ensure that services provided to you are "qualitatively equivalent and quantitatively proportionate" to the services provided to other job-seekers. This means that you should receive all workforce development services, benefits, and protections on an equitable and non-discriminatory basis (i.e. career guidance, testing, job development, training, and job referral).

In order to locate and contact MSFWs who are not being reached by the normal intake activities conducted by the local Job Service offices, the focus of the workforce delivery system will be to:

1. Increase the number of MSFWs in all labor exchange activities;
2. Increase the number of agricultural employers utilizing labor exchange services;
3. Encourage use of the Agricultural Recruitment System (ARS);
4. Encourage MSFWs' transition to higher-wage jobs & permanent year-round employment in non-agricultural work;
5. Enhance collaboration with MSFW service providers;
6. Encourage full integration of MSFWs and agencies that serve them into American Job Centers (also known as One-Stop Career Centers) around the country.

State and Regional Monitor Advocates are responsible for ensuring that services provided are in accordance with federal regulations (20 C.F.R. 651-658) and the Workforce Investment Act.

The Monitor Advocates support the needs of MSFWs by:

• Providing information about farmworker needs, characteristics, and concerns;
• Developing linkages with a broad range of stakeholders, including community- and employer-based organizations;
• Participating in the planning and integration and system-building functions of American Job Centers;
• Producing annual service assessments and analyses to promote a better understanding of services to farmworkers and to highlighting special efforts and accomplishments by states in serving them; and,
• Ensuring that all legal protections are afforded to farmworkers and that their complaints are promptly resolved

State Monitor Advocate Duties 

State Monitor Advocates will submit an annual summary to the State Administrator on Employment Services (ES) to MSFWs within the state. The summary should include an assessment of the state's MSFWs activities, such as:

• The agency's program budget plan;
• The agency's outreach plan;
• The agency's affirmative action plan;
• Other matters with respect to which the SMA has responsibilities under these regulations

Agricultural Outreach Plan

Each State Agency must develop an Agricultural Outreach Plan (AOP) every 4 years as part of the Unified or Combined State Plan under sections 102 or 103 of WIOA. The AOP must include: 

• Assessment of Need;
• Outreach Activities;
• Services Provided to Farmworkers and Agricultural Employers through the One-Stop Delivery System;
• Other Requirements

Farmworker's Employment Rights 

If you believe that your agricultural employment rights have been violated, find out where and how to submit complaints.

The above is copied from the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Monitor Advocate System webpage.