BUSINESS & AG LIFE
2B — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
STUDY
Continued from Page 1B
COVID-19.
Marty Myers, gen-
eral manager of Threemile
Canyon Farms outside of
Boardman, said Eastern
Oregon staples, such as
onions and potatoes, are
easier to harvest while
staying socially distant than
hand-picked fruit crops
more prevalent in other
parts of the state.
Still, he said activities
that might bring workers
into closer proximity with
each other — mainly
sorting and loading pota-
toes into storage — have
been adjusted to keep
workers farther apart.
Masks have been required
on the farm since March, he
said, and nonessential visi-
tors are not allowed on the
property. Picnic tables have
been set up 6 feet apart out-
doors and employees are
encouraged to take breaks
there instead of indoors.
Vans transporting
workers are now only fi lled
to half capacity, masks
are required inside them
and workers must have a
temperature check before
boarding the a van. Housing
available to farmworkers
have only two employees
to a room, he said, and they
have extra rooms available
to quarantine anyone who is
showing symptoms or has
been exposed.
“In total, we’ve taken
this thing very seriously,”
Myers said.
Despite the precautions,
JOBS
Continued from Page 1B
Health care will account
for one out of every fi ve
new jobs in Oregon by
2029.
Health care also tops
the list of Oregon’s fast-
est-growing occupations
over the 10-year period.
Health care occupations and
Oregon COVID-19 Farmworker Study/Contributed Graphic
The Oregon COVID-19 Farmworker Study has surveyed more than 200 farmworkers
throughout Oregon, including some in Northeast Oregon. The preliminary fi ndings show
Oregon farmworkers demonstrate a commitment to safety in the face of COVID-19 in
spite of a lack of adequate safety nets and protections.
he said Threemile Canyon
Farms has had 33 con-
fi rmed cases of COVID-19.
Myers said contact tracing
suggests those cases have
mostly come from workers’
personal gatherings in their
off-hours, and pointed to
the spike of 18 cases that
happened in early July, just
after Father’s Day and the
Fourth of July.
“In August, we turned
the corner, and I think
our employees have really
grasped the seriousness of
this virus,” he said.
At the Oregon Farm-
worker COVID-19 Study
news conference, those who
conducted the interviews
for the surveys shared sto-
ries they heard from farm-
workers who felt their
employers were not doing
enough to protect them.
Antonio Garcia of
Centro Cultural, who inter-
viewed blueberry pickers
in Washington County, said
workers told him they could
not maintain social dis-
tancing while loading blue-
berries onto the truck. One
woman told him while the
rules stated they were sup-
posed to stay 6 feet apart
while picking, people often
moved closer to each other
to be able to pick as quickly
as they needed to.
Kathy Keesee-Morales
those associated with health
care, including mental
health, account for 13 of the
20 fastest-growing occupa-
tions from 2019-29 among
occupations with at least
1,000 jobs in Oregon.
Oregon’s second-fast-
est-growing industry will
be professional and busi-
ness services, which will
add 33,000 new jobs (13%
growth), according to the
press release. Professional
and business services
includes legal and archi-
tectural services, computer
systems design and more.
A broad variety of
career opportunities will
be available across all sec-
tors as well as all job types.
One-third of all job open-
ings will require education
or training beyond high
school at the typical entry-
level education. To meet
more competitive education
requirements, nearly half of
all job openings require at
least some training beyond
high school.
Occupations with the
most job openings, typically
requiring a high school
diploma or less, include
retail salespersons, food
preparation and serving
workers and cashiers.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2020
of Unete Center for Farm-
worker Advocacy said some
employers were placing
pressure on employees to
not follow recommended
practices for containing the
spread of the virus.
“We found people
working in hemp here,
especially in one case,
where there was a foreman
who told people if they did
have symptoms of COVID,
that they were not to report
their symptoms to anyone
and they were just supposed
to stay home until they felt
better,” she said.
Keesee-Morales sur-
veyed farmworkers in
Jackson County, and said
the wildfi res that tore
through the county in
Phoenix and Talent had
burned down the homes
of many farmworkers in
the area, or caused them
to lose running water and
electricity. In one case, she
said, 19 people now were
living in one home together,
while in another she heard
of, 11 people were sharing a
single hotel room.
“They’re obviously
unable to practice social
distancing at home, so we
really fear they’re going to
be increasing their exposure
to COVID,” she said.
Working outdoors in
what was at times the worst
air quality in the entire
world also was a signifi cant
health concern on top of
COVID-19, she said.
Other interviewers
found that even when
farmworkers were being
given instructions to avoid
COVID-19, those instruc-
• At freeway exit
• Fuel
• Restaurant
• Clean bathrooms
• Convenience Store
• Interesting Gifts
• Food to go
• Bus Terminal
• Barber Shop
• Showers
• Shorepower electric
• LPG
• Dump Station
• 4 hotels adjacent
• 1 mile from downtown
tions weren’t understood by
the portion of farmworkers
who speak languages other
than English or Spanish.
In addition to the diffi -
culties of being an essen-
tial worker putting in long
hours, interviewers said
farmworkers also are expe-
riencing the same stressors
as workers in other indus-
tries during the pan-
demic, including a lack of
child care during distance
learning.
Thirty-seven percent of
farmworkers surveyed said
they had lost months of
work because of COVID-
19, while another 39%
said they had lost weeks of
wages this year.
The study team included
a list of recommendations
with their fi ndings. Team
members said they were
particularly concerned
about strengthening protec-
tions for workers who blow
the whistle on OSHA vio-
lations or face retaliation
from employers for staying
home while sick or after
close contact with COVID-
19. They would also like
to see increased OSHA
enforcement, including
unannounced inspections.
Reyna Lopez of PCUN
and Latinx Working Fam-
ilies United said they have
been working on legislation
to help empower workers
to report violations and
allow them to collectively
bargain.
“It’s something we’ve
been dreaming up for a
really long time and hope-
fully we can make it happen
next year,” she said.
Old Fashioned Hospitality
6 am to 12 am Daily
Take out and Catering is Available.
515 Campbell Street Baker City
541-523-4318
C lassifieds
Published by The Observer & Baker City Herald - Serving Wallowa, Union and Baker Counties
PLACING YOUR AD IS EASY...Union, Wallowa, and Baker Counties
Phone La
Grande - 541-963-3161 • Baker City - 541-523-3673
On-Line:
www.lagrandeobserver.com
www.bakercityherald.com
Email:
Classifieds@lagrandeobserver.com
Classifieds@bakercityherald.com
DEADLINES:
LINE ADS:
Tuesday: 10:30am Monday
Thursday: 10:30 am Wednesday
Saturday: 10:30 am Friday
DISPLAY ADS:
2 Days Prior to
Publication Date
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2020
110 Announcements
PULL TABS
ACCEPTED
AT THE FOLLOWING
BAKER CITY LOCATIONS
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
∙
110 Announcements
You too can use this
ATTENTION GETTER!
Ask how you can get your ad
to stand out like this!
THE DEADLINE
for placing a
CLASSIFIED AD
is 10:30 A.M.
ONE BUSINESS DAY
BEFORE PUBLICATION
Publication Days:
Tuesday,Thursday,Saturday
Baker City Herald
Dollar Tree
Black’s Distributing
Ryder Bros
VFW
Baker Elk’s Lodge
Main Event
Lefty’s Tap House
Little Bagel Shop
Baker City Fire Dept.
Haines Sell-Rite
Idle Hour
Salvation Army
Placing an ad in classified is a
very simple process. Just call the
classified department and we'll
help you word your ad for maxi-
mum response.
110 Announcements
110 Announcements
We regret to
inform you that
BREAD OF LIFE
FOODBANK
3453 “H” St. in Baker City is
Closing Permanently
Our last distribution will be:
October 13, 2020
Thank you for your support during the
years and God Bless You All
114 Self-Help
Group Meetings
AL-ANON, Cove. Keep coming
back. Mondays, 7-8pm. Calvary
Baptist Church. 707 Main, Cove.
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
541-805-2229
neo-na.org
AA MEETINGS
Wednesday Nights, 7-8:15pm.
Fort Union Grange Hall, corner
of McAlister & Gekeler Lanes.
For more info, call 541-786-1222
AL-ANON Attitude of Gratitude.
Wednesdays, 12:15-1:30pm.
Faith Lutheran Church.
12th & Gekeler, La Grande.
541-786-2051
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
Monday, Thursday, & Friday
at 8pm. Episcopal Church
2177 First St.
Baker City
Make your advertising dollars go
further! List your business every
day in the Service Directory in
our classified section of this
newspaper.
Drug Problem? We can
help!
Narcotics Anonymous
Phone: 541-805-2229
www.neo-na.org
OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS
Tues., Noon - 1 PM
Due to the Library closure the
meeting is in the City Park
Call: 541-540-5326
Leave a Message
LA GRANDE NOW HAS A
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS
MEETING!
Every Friday Night @5pm, 2107
Gekeler Ln, LG, Church of Christ
basement. For more info please
call 971-219-8411
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
Goin’ Straight Group
Meetings:
Mon., Tues. Thurs. & Fri.
Start at 8 PM
Episcopal Church Basement
2177 1st Street, Baker City