Welcome to PTLA's Farmworker Unit!
We provide free legal services to eligible farmworkers in Maine.
We help people who:
- Harvest crops like apples, broccoli, and blueberries
- Work in forestry
- Work in packing houses
- Work in the seafood industry
- Work in wreath making
We also provide legal services to farmworkers in other New England states, and we publish information for farmworkers each year.
We publish:
- A Harvest Calendar full of information about the rights of farmworkers
- A Newsletter with information for H-2A workers
- Videos with information on many farmworker topics
- H-2A Worker Rights - 2021 Brief Overview (English) | Derechos del Trabajador H-2A (short overview, Spanish)
- Rights of H-2A Farmworkers (In-depth, English) | Trabajadores Agricolas H-2A (In-depth, Spanish)
- AWPA Overview - The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (brief overview, English) | La Ley de Protección del Trabajador Agrícola Migratorio y Estaciona (brief overview, Spanish)
- The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act: Know Your Rights! (long form overview - English) | La ley para la Protección de los Trabajadores Agrícolas Migratorios y de Temporada (Spanish)
- The Human Labor Trafficking Trap (English) | La trampa de la trata de personas (Spanish)
Please contact us for more information, or to get a free copy of these resources!
How to Find Us
If you work in Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Rhode Island
Address:
Pine Tree Legal Assistance
Farmworker Unit
115 Main Street, 2nd Floor
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 942-0673
Cell/WhatsApp: (207)-233-2930
Toll-free: 1-800-879-7463
TTY: (207) 942-1060
FAX: (207) 942-8323
Hours: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm; Monday through Friday (closed at noon)
Staff:
- Nicolaas Groeneveld-Meijer, Attorney
- Mike Guare, Attorney
- Andrés Kenney, Attorney
- Danny Mills, Paralegal
If you work in New York
Farmworker Law Project of New York
52 S. Manheim Boulevard
New Paltz, NY 12561-2405
Phone: (845) 256-9096
- Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-800-804-8575
- Toll free from Jamaica (Landline): 1-800-248-2429
- From Mexico, Toll Free: 001-877-248-2429
Staff:
- Arturo Delgado
- Catherine Giller
- Andrea Ortega
- Alaina Varvaloucas
More resources and information from the Farmworker Unit
We have a growing library of articles about the rights of farmworkers. We have highlighted some important articles below. You can view the full Farmworker library here.
Farmworker Rights - General Protections
Read this page to learn about laws that protect farmworkers, information about where to get legal help, and information about COVID-19, workers’ compensation, minimum wage, and federal farmworker protections.
Farmworker Rights - Minimum Wage
Information about the minimum wage, work hours, and overtime for farmworkers, in English and Spanish.
Farmworker Rights - Domestic Violence
Information for farmworkers experiencing domestic violence. Safety first. If you are in danger, call 911 for the Police. Physical abuse by your spouse or partner is illegal. Your safety is most important. In English and Spanish.
Farmworker Rights - The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act
Information about this federal law that covers most farms and farmworkers (except those on H-2A visas). In English and Spanish.