Migrant AND sEASONAL wORKER Services

Putnam County Educational Service Center: Migrant Program                                                                                           124 Putnam Parkway, Ottawa, Ohio 45875                                                                                                             419-523-5951     putnamcountyesc.org 

The Migrant Education Program is designed to help migratory children overcome disruptions in education, cultural and language barriers, social isolation, health-related problems and other factors that inhibit their abilities to do well in school.  It also prepares them to make successful transitions to higher education or employment.

Farm and Food Workers Relief Program

www.farmworkers.com 

One-Time $600.00 Relief Payment

Farm and Food Worker's Relief Basic Information:

• Must have engaged in qualifying work after January 27, 2020

• Can only receive payment through the FFWR program one time

• Worker as young as 10 years old can qualify if they have the required documents

Who Qualifies?

• Field Workers:

  • Employees engaged in planting, tending, harvesting crops

  • Post-harvest activities such as packing, grading and sorting

  • Operating farm machinery or crop farms

• Livestock Workers:

  • Employees tending livestock, milking cows, or caring for poultry, including operating farm machinery on livestock or poultry operations

• Meatpacking Workers:

  • Employees engaged in livestock slaughter, meat or poultry processing, and packing

Documents Needed to Apply:

1) Acceptable Photo Identification

• W-2 tax form

• Pay stub

• Employment contract

• Letter from employer

• H-2A Visa or H-2B Visa

• Certificate of Eligibility

2) Acceptable Proof of Employment

• State-issued driver's license or identification

• Consular or government-issued identification (foreign or domestic)

• H-2A Visa or H-2B Visa

• Employer-issued identification

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services: Migrant and Seasonal Worker Hotline (Bilingual)                                          1-855-439-9413  jfs.ohio.gov/Agriculture/FarmworkerPage  

Providing:

• Answers to Questions

• Complaints

• Agricultural Recruitment 

Path Stone (Migrant Services)                                                 2453 County Road V, Liberty Center, Ohio 43532                                                                                             419-875-6654   pathstone.org 

Services offered include Occupational and Personal Health and Safety Training, Educational Support, and Emergency and Shelter Services. 

Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Outreach                         State wide: 1-855-439-9413                                                                                                                                   Lima: 614-519-1844

Information for Outreach Specialist (available peak season, March through October) for employers and farmworkers with questions or concerns.

FALCON Farmworker Advocacy Network

As a network of collaborating agencies, FALCON is committed to serving Ohio's migrant and seasonal farmworkers and agricultural employers by encouraging and supporting the dignity of productive work, healthy working and living environments, educational networking, legal assistance, and spiritual outreach. We cannot accept traffic or criminal cases. 

• Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, (ABLE)                        525 Jefferson Ave, Suite 300, Toledo, Ohio 43604                                                                                              Toll-Free: 855-884-9155   ablelaw.org 

Services provided:

• Employment Rights of Agricultural Worker

• Unpaid Wages and Minimum Wage Claims

• Worker Health & Safety Concerns

• Field Sanitation

• Pesticide Exposure

• Housing Conditions

• Discrimination

• Sexual Harassment 

• Domestic Violence and Potential Remedies

• Immigration and Citizenships

• Government Benefits

• Childcare and Education

• Federal Income Tax Controversies

• Legal Aid of Western Ohio, (LAWO)                                    1800 North Blanchard Street, Suite 109, Findlay, Ohio 45840                                                                    419-930-2482   lawolaw.org

Services Provided: LAWO provides direct representation, worker's rights, education, and general advocacy to agricultural workers in all 88 counties in Ohio.  Attorneys and advocates from LAWO can help with legal problems such as:

• Employment Rights of Agricultural Worker

• Unpaid Wages and Minimum Wage Claims

• Worker Health $ Safety Concerns

• Field Sanitation

• Pesticide Exposure

• Housing Conditions

• Discrimination

• Sexual Harassment

• Domestic Violence and Potential Remedies

• Immigration and Citizenship

• Government Benefits

• Childcare and Education

• Federal Income Tax Controversies

Farm Labor Organizing Committee, (FLOC)                          1221 Broadway Street, Toledo, Ohio 43609                                                                                                       419-243-3456  floc.com  

FLOC is involved in a number of organizing campaigns both in the fields throughout the Midwest and the South and the inner-city streets of Toledo, Ohio.  The role in all organizing efforts is to build a democratic institution amount marginalized people so they can use their own voices to speak out against the injustices they face. 

Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS)        4020 E. 5th Avenue, P.O. Box 1618, Columbus, Ohio 43216                                                                     Ohio Migrant Hotline: 1-800-282-3525    jfs.ohio.gov  

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is dedicated to serving the agricultural community statewide.  Responsibilities are to ensure that agricultural job seekers and employers are informed of the services provided by local OhioMeansJobs Centers. 

Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Program (MSFW) Bilingual Employment Professionals located in various OhioMeansJobs Centers', assist employers in searching for agricultural workers, both in and out-of-state.  Employers are encouraged to take advantage of the OhioMeansJobs Centers' labor exchange services to locate job seekers who are willing to fill temporary agricultural and food processing positions.  MSFW staff works with all segments of the agricultural industry; including orchards, plant nurseries, greenhouses, vegetable, fruit, dairy, poultry, and livestock farms. 

USDOL Wage & Hour                                                                    420 Madison Ave., Suite 670, Toledo, Ohio 43604-1267                                                                                         419-259-6401   dol.gov/agencies/whd

The WHD enforces Federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.  WHD also enforces the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and a number of employment standards and worker protections as provided in several immigration related statutes.  Additionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act and other statutes application to Federal contracts for construction and for the provision of goods and services. 

Ohio Department of Health (ODH)                                              246 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215                                                                                                       614-644-1897   odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/home 

Services:  Agricultural Labor Camps - Inspections, Licensing, Rules Review.  Responds to complaints of migrant labor camp housing violations.

La Conexion                                                                                    P.O. Box 186, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402                                                                                                               419-308-2328    laconexionwc.wixsite.com 

Services: 

La Conexion is an empowerment organization working with Latinos and recent immigrants in NW Ohio.  Program areas include:

• Community organizing.  Outreach and community building

• Adults capacity development.  English as a Second Language and Citizenship classes.

• Youth enrichment program.  Tutoring and homework assistance, mentoring, academic support, advocacy

• Service access and navigation

• Advocacy on issues facing Latinos and recent immigrants

• Art & Culture

• Interpretation services (fee for service for area agencies and institutions)

Justice for Migrant Women   justice4women.org 

Services: Advancing the human and civil rights of migrant women and their families.

Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition                          2149 Collingwood Blvd., Toledo, Ohio 43620   www.lchtc.org 

Services: The Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition was implemented in 2009 to comprehensively respond to the problem of human trafficking.  The Coalition is comprised of multi-disciplinary professionals and community members who strive to develop a coordinated victim assistance response to combat human trafficking. The Look Beneath the Surface Grant works to identify and refer foreign born human trafficking victims and domestic human trafficking victims to appropriate services.  this grant serves 21 counties throughout Northwest Ohio. 

Ohio Migrant Education Center (OMEC)                                  428 1/2 Croghan Street, Fremont, Ohio 43420                                                                                                         419-332-6007  omec.nwoesc.org 

The Ohio Migrant Education Center (OMEC) assists school districts that serve migrant children in their effort to create a learning environment that will foster success.  The Center has supplemental materials available for teaachers to use with their ESL migrant population in Ohio.

Ohio Migrant Health Centers/Health Partners of Western Ohio                                                                                                      329 North West Street, Second Floor, Lima, Ohio 45801                                                                                419-221-3072                                                                                                                                                                      211 Biede Ave, Defiance, Ohio 43512                                                                                                                         407 Independence Drive, Napoleon, Ohio 43545                                                                                                   502 Van Buren Street, Fostoria, Ohio 44830   ncfh.org/migrant-health-centers 

The federal Migrant Health Program provides funds to health centers located around the country to provide health care to nearly 800,000 farmworkers and their families every year.  Read more about the background and history of the Migrant Health Program on their website where you will also find a interactive map to learn more about migrant health centers in your area.