Sep 28, 2021

First labor contractors get Clearview certification for recruitment practices

Stronger Together US has announced Oregon-based AgriLabor and California-based AgSocio are the first farm labor contractors (FLCs) to achieve Clearview certification in the United States.

Clearview is a global certification program that recognizes  farm labor contractors (FLCs) in the U.S. for operating responsibly, professionally, legally and ethically in their sourcing, supply and management of workers. Clearview focuses on evaluating the recruitment and working conditions faced by temporary, seasonal and migrant workers in labor supply chains.

Farm labor contractors provide essential services to U.S. growers who are facing labor shortages by recruiting, and often managing, domestic farmworkers in the U.S. and migrant farmworkers from Mexico through the H-2A visa program. Poor recruitment practices, however, can leave workers vulnerable to unsafe and unacceptable working conditions, and unscrupulous operators undercut the reputation and competitive advantage of ethical and responsible FLCs.

“Clearview certification is an enormous accomplishment for a farm labor contractor and benefit to their workers and clients,” Hannah Newcomb, managing director, Clearview, said in a news release. “Certified status means a business has clearly demonstrated due diligence and management systems for the responsible recruitment of workers. We are delighted to recognize AgriLabor and AgSocio for this milestone achievement that paves the way for more FLCs to seek certification.”

AgriLabor and AgSocio underwent a rigorous independent audit of their responsible recruitment management systems. Approved audit bodies assessed the FLCs across a set of technical standards and control points developed by industry experts and mapped against leading international practices.

“The entire food industry, from a large retailer to individual farmworkers, can benefit from improved recruitment and employment practices by farm labor contractors,” said Matt Rogers, general manager, AgSocio. “AgSocio is honored to be one of the first certified companies in the U.S. and we hope others will demonstrate transparency and best practices through Clearview certification.”

“AgriLabor is strongly committed to reliable, responsible and fair labor practices that bring growers and farmworkers together,” shares Michael Atkinson, President, AgriLabor and Atkinson Staffing. “We are proud to receive this certification and hope it becomes a standard for all farm labor contracting.”

FLCs and their clients interested in finding out more about Clearview certification, please contact [email protected].

Clearview is facilitated by Stronger Together US, a multi-stakeholder collaborative program working to build a responsible recruitment marketplace for the U.S. fresh produce sector that boosts the supply of ethically sourced labor and reduces risks for workers and businesses across the labor supply chain. S

tronger Together US was launched in April 2019 following funding from the Walmart Foundation.

To learn more, visit Clearview here and Stronger Together US.

AgriLabor provides a wide variety of agricultural staffing and employment solutions to businesses and individuals as well as employment opportunities in Oregon and Washington. AgriLabor is dedicated to developing long-term relationships with our clients and employees by recognizing their individual unique needs and tailoring our services to meet those needs.

AgriLabor is a division of Atkinson Staffing Inc.

AgSocio is an agricultural labor and service provider operating in California and Arizona. We help our clients comply and compete in the highly regulated and rapidly evolving agricultural labor market. We are building a more just, safe, professional, efficient and competitive agricultural employment system to benefit farmers, farmworkers and the broader food industry.