As part of Global May Day 2022 the IWW Ireland together with the film makers organize the screening of Fruits of Labor.

‘Fruits of Labor’ explores the life of Ashley, a Mexican-American teenager living in an agricultural town on the central coast of California, who dreams of graduating from high school and going to college. But when ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) raids threaten her family, Ashley is forced to become the breadwinner, working days in the strawberry fields and nights at a food processing company.

Today immigrant farm workers make up an estimated 73% of agriculture workers in the United States, of which about between 50 and 70 percent are undocumented.

While precise data on youth farm workers does not exist, the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs estimates that there are approximately 500,000 to 800,000 farmworkers under the age of 18.

‘Fruits of Labor’ offers a new narrative about women workers that shows the nuances of how the global food system intersects with gender and family life.

There will also be a Q&A opportunity with the film director Emily Cohen Ibañez.

The public hosting of this film is a great opportunity for grassroots, fighting unions to come together to hear first hand the challenges that agricultural workers face in front of climate change, institutionalised racism and capitalist exploitation; and explore ways of building class solidarity links and opportunities for workers organising within the chain of production.