Some California essential workers could get cash through a Biden pandemic relief plan
Front-line farm, grocery-store and meatpacking workers in California could see financial relief through a federal program designed to alleviate pandemic-related costs.
The Farm and Food Workers Relief Program, offered through the United States Department of Agriculture, promises $700 million in grants for those workers across the U.S. The Biden administration has not said when it plans to release the money.
Many workers in the food and farming industries were unable to work from home, which put them at risk of contracting the coronavirus — and sometimes meant personally paying for protective equipment, care for loved ones and COVID-19 testing and quarantining expenses.
“They deserve recognition for their resilience and financial support for their efforts to meet personal and family needs while continuing to provide essential services,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an announcement of the program last month.
More details about the program — which state agencies, nonprofits and tribal entities can apply to in amounts ranging from $5 million to $50 million — will be available at Grants.Gov this fall, said a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson. Grant recipients would distribute the money to workers.
Once open, the program will accept applications for 60 days.
Eligible applicants must show that they can reimburse workers for up to $600 in pandemic-related expenses, including through established communication with smaller organizations that can reach people on farms, in meatpacking facilities and at grocery stores.
Through this pipeline, groups can offer funds to workers in need.
California lawmakers from both parties have praised the proposal.
“Certain industries can’t stop production during a global pandemic, and the agriculture industry is one of them,” Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, told The Sacramento Bee. “Farmworkers placed themselves and their families at risk of infection during the pandemic to put food on the table for an entire country, and that should not be overlooked.”
“I appreciate USDA Secretary Vilsack’s recognition of these sacrifices,” he added.
Hazard pay for California prison guards
The program comes as a push for hazard pay for essential workers in California has stalled. Major unions in the state urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to give $8 billion in bonuses to essential workers, encouraging him to draw from money California state government received in federal COVID-19 relief.
Newsom ultimately did not create a hazard pay program, although the state gave stimulus checks to millions of low-income workers, undocumented immigrants and other households.
Statewide, only correctional officers in California’s prisons have received pandemic bonuses, of nearly $5,000 for each worker. Some cities, such as San Francisco and Santa Ana, have passed ordinances requiring some employers to temporarily raise the pay of their workers typically by $3 to $5 an hour.
At least $20 million from the Biden program would be set aside for grocery-store workers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Grocery store workers are some of the unsung heroes of this pandemic and I’m excited to see that this program will treat them with the reverence they deserve,” Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, told The Bee. “When the world was a pretty dark and scary place, they showed up day after day to keep our families fed, and it’s so important they’re repaid for that service.”
Grants for seafood workers, farmers markets
The U.S. Department of Agriculture also announced $700 million will go into a separate pandemic grant program for producers, processors, farmers markets, distributors and seafood processors. The Biden administration wants that money to reach front-line workers, not just business owners.
And another approximately $650 million in grants is set for small businesses in similar areas, including for producers and distributors of shellfish and honey. The Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program’s application period closes on Nov. 22.
These grants are some of the measures that the organization has taken in line with President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda, which aims to tackle organizational and climate issues highlighted by the pandemic. The infrastructure and reconciliation bills being debated in Congress also contain provisions related to agriculture and food industries in line with Biden’s aims.
The Farm and Food Workers Relief Program is funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, an $2.3 trillion governmental spending bill signed into law last December that provided COVID-19 relief and funding for federal agencies.
“The grants will be beneficial, but they don’t go far enough,” Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, told The Bee. “California’s agriculture economy, like others, was hard hit by the pandemic. Our farmers, ranchers, and dairy men and women feed the world.”
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 5:25 AM with the headline "Some California essential workers could get cash through a Biden pandemic relief plan."
