Three men have died after working in the recent intense heat of the Central Valley, sparking a demand for more safeguards.
One worker died after being made to work in 105 degree heat at double speed.
But two weeks ago, in the 105-degree sun of a brutal July, he could not keep up with the tractor that was dictating his pace in a bell pepper field near this Kern County town.
Co-workers said that for more than two hours, the tractor doubled its speed in a dash to finish the last pick of one field so the grower could begin a fresh field the next morning.
An apt metaphor for the out-of-control predatory capitalism so prevalent in this country; Workers die while owners profit.