Farm Labor Stabilization and 

Protection Pilot Program 

(FLSP)

December 2023
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Agenda

FLSP Webinar 

Know Your 

Rights & 

Resources

Dec 21, 2023

➢ Introduction of KYRR Partner

➢ Employer experience with Alianza network

➢ KYRR Curriculum overview

➢ KYRR process overview for employers

➢ Employer representatives

Q&A

➢ Reminder of Steps to Apply – Deadline Jan 3

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H

ping Change at USDA

-2A Requirements

• FLSP separate and distinct from H-2A Program.

• H-2A requirements:

 Employers must demonstrate to Department of Labor 

 (DOL) that:

1. There are insufficient U.S. workers available to 

perform the labor or services in the labor 

certification application (Job Order), and 

2. That the employment of foreign workers will not 

adversely affect the wages and working conditions 

of workers in the U.S. similarly employed. 

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Program 

Goals

• The FLSP program aims to improve food and 

agricultural supply chain resiliency by addressing 

challenges agricultural employers face with labor 

shortages and instability.

• Goal 1: Drive U.S. economic recovery and 

safeguard domestic food supply by addressing 

current labor shortages in agriculture.

• Goal 2: Reduce irregular migration from 

Northern Central America through the expansion 

of regular pathways.

• Goal 3: Improve working conditions for all 

farmworkers.

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Eligibility &

Award 

Amounts

• Up to $65 million in competitive grants for agricultural employers

• The award amounts will be determined based on the 

1) projected number of full-time equivalent agricultural employees 

(FTEs) and 

2) requested award level (Baseline, Silver or Platinum).

• Fixed-Award grant over 24-month grant period

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Baseline Requirements (for all award levels)

ping Change at USDA

1. Universal protections and benefits

• All commitments must be applied universally to all applicant’s agricultural employees, H-2A or otherwise at each 

work site within the applicant’s operation. If awarded, all commitments in the Awardee’s application must be 

included in their H-2A Job Order.

2. Participation in FLSP research and reporting

• Awardees must participate in research conducted by a non-partisan, third-party university partner selected by USDA. 

USDA requires that all Awardees agree to grant access to their full agricultural workforce (or contractors).

3. Participation in Know Your Rights and Resources (KYRR) access and training

• In-person 2-hour KYRR session conducted by USDA cooperator partner at start of workers’ contracts, on-site in a 

conducive environment scheduled within two weeks of employees’ start date.

4. Responsible Recruitment

• Describe recruitment methods for U.S. and foreign workers.

• If using a private recruiter: 

• Disclose of the name of all agents and sub-contractors, 

• Recruiter is registered in the country in which they recruit, if available.

• Submit Recruiter Partner Letter with recruiter’s complete written responses 5
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Supplemental Employee 

Commitments for Silver and Platinum 

Award Level

RESPONSIBLE RECRUITMENT PAY, BENEFITS AND WORKING 

CONDITIONS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS

Silver: recommended but not 

required

Platinum: required

Silver: choose at least two

Platinum: choose at least three

Silver: recommended, but not 

required

Platinum: choose at least one

1. Recruitment via NCA 

Ministries. 

1. Overtime Pay

2. Bonus Payment

3. Paid Sick Leave

4. Weekly Housing Maintenance Plan

5. Collaborative Working Group

6. Innovative External Partnership

1. Worker-Driven Social 

Responsibility (WSR) program

2. Collective Bargaining Agreement 

(CBA)

3. Committing to Neutrality, 

Access, and Voluntary 

Recognition 

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About 

ping Change at

Alianza

USDA

Nacional de Campesinas

First national farmworkers’ organization 

(501(c)(3) of current and former women 

farmworkers, and women who hail from 

farmworker families. Alianza network has 

active presence across 20 states.

▪ Mission: to unify the struggle and 

promote leadership of campesinas in a 

national movement to create major 

visibility and advocate for changes that 

ensure their human rights.

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COVID

ange at USDA

-19 Vaccine and Community Health Support

COVID-19 Vaccine and Community Health Support

• Administers a Department of Health and Human 

Services grant to raise vaccination rates among 

immigrant and migrant farmworkers, and rural 

communities of color.

• Trained and engaged more than 264 community 

health outreach workers (across 141 counties in 

20 states and 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico)

• Reached more than 2 million farmworkers, 

farmworker family members, rural farmers, 

meatpackers and other essential workers

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COVID

ange at USDA

-19 Relief Payments 

COVID-19 Relief Payments 

• Alianza is one of the implementors of the 

Farm and Food Workers Relief Grant 

Program (FFWR). 

• Providing relief funds to more than 64,000 

farm and meatpacking workers who 

incurred pandemic-related health and 

safety costs.

• Alianza and its partners are assisting 

eligible workers to apply for the one-time 

relief payment of $600.

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Mandilitos

ange at USDA

(Little Aprons) Campaign

▪ Mandilitos (Little Aprons) 

Campaign on Gender-Based Violence

- Started in 2008 with a focus 

on women’s safety, security 

and well-being

- In CA, over 500, and about 

1 million reached – in 

addition to the national 

campaign beyond

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Morralitos

ange at USDA

(Satchels) Campaign

Morralitos (Satchels) Campaign

- Founded in 2009 as effort to raise 

awareness about health risks of 

pesticides

- Reaches > 1 million annually, 

informing workers about the dangers 

of, how to protect themselves and 

their families, what to do if 

contaminated by pesticides

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Mother Earth Campaign

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Mother Earth Campaign

- Draws on farmworkers’ 

knowledge and supports 

socially disadvantaged farmers, 

tribal and other land-based 

people. 

- Began with 3 organizations →

now 8 partner organizations 

engaging 20 + families with 

their own small backyard farms 

/ several acres of land. 

- Organizations are involving 

more with their community 

farms. 12
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Employer Testimonies

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Dave Murray 

California Grower

Raul Pena Lazaro

Farm Labor Contractor 
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KYRR Process Overview 

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Outreach

• At the start of each grant, USDA will confirm each grantee’s estimated worker start dates, 

number of workers to be trained, and expected location(s) of where training will take place. 

• Once grantees have their start dates, they will contact the Alianza scheduling team.

Scheduling

• Alianza will respond to grantees with proposed times and dates; if these times are 

acceptable to the employer, they will confirm with Alianza

• Once the KYRR session(s) are scheduled, Alianza will notify USDA

Training 

• Alianza will email each scheduled employer an itinerary of the training and confirm details. 

• On the day of, the trainers will arrive on site up to 2 hours before the scheduled start time to 

set up. Employers must be available to meet the trainers and situate them in the training 

space for set up and preparation.

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Overview of KYRR Curriculum

ange at USDA

● About FLSP 

● Recruitment rights (fraud, discrimination, contract transparency, fees, and coercion)

● Rights under the H-2A program regulations (reimbursable expenses, housing, visa fraud)

● Minimum wage and hours (pay rates and payment methods, documentation, piece rate, paystubs, 

deductions, OT)

● Health & Safety (heat stress, injuries and falls, pesticides, emotional/mental health, safety complaints)

● Workers Compensation laws

● Discrimination Sexual harassment and/or abuse

● Retaliation

● Regional resources and contact information

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KYRR Curriculum Essentials

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Federal Requirements & 

Protections

State and Local 

Requirements & Protections

FLSP specifics

Local

Farmworker 

Resources

DOL H-2A regs, Equal 

Employment Opportunity 

Commission (EEOC), etc.

State specific heat stress regulations, 

minimum wage, worker’s comp, etc. 

Baseline requirements, Research, KYRR training 

Silver/Platinum: commitments specific to operation

Healthcare, housing organizations, financial, tax clinics, 

legal services, interpretation, food banks, social service 

providers, etc.

National curriculum designed 

by Alianza, USDA approved.

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Best

ping Chan

Practices for KYRR: 

ge at USDA

Employers

Engagement with Alianza Conducive Environment

- Respectful communication

- Respond to emails/calls in a timely fashion

- Be flexible on scheduling, and clear about any 

major conflicts

- Meet the trainers day of training to situate them 

in the training space 

- Ensure all workers know what time and place 

they’re assigned to arrive

- Relatively quiet space

- Temperature regulation

- Chairs or seating area

- Electricity access

- No surveillance and ensure an environment 

without supervisory employees*

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Best Practices for 

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KYRR: Trainers & Learning

Engagement with Employers Training tools and skills

- Respectful communication

- Respond to emails/calls in a timely fashion

- Be flexible on scheduling, and clear about any 

major conflicts

- Set up the training space for timely start/end 

times

- Help field questions, and provide referrals for 

employers, when appropriate 

- Imagery and accessible, translated materials

- Interactive learning activities

- Conducted in workers’ primary language 

(simultaneous interpretation, if necessary)

- Trust and relationship building

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Employer Representatives

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Michael Marsh

National Council of Agricultural Employers

Layla Soberanis

National Farmers Union
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Q & A ...

More Questions?

❑ Check the FAQs! www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/flsp/faq

❑ Email FLSPgrants@usda.gov

❑ H-2A and NCA Recruitment related-questions: 

❑ Contact the Northern Central American Ministries

❑ NCA@sesolabor.com

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Important 

Dates

• September 22, 2023

Application 

Opens:

• January 3, 2024, at 

11:59 p.m. Eastern 

Time

Application 

Closes:
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Key steps in applying to FLSP

USDA

📅

1. Set up your required accounts.

❑ Obtaining/existing UEI number (allow 7-10 days)

❑ Active Sam.gov account (allow 7-10 days)

❑ Obtaining/existing TIN/EIN (allow 2 weeks)

❑ Creating Grants.gov profile (allow 4 weeks)

** NOTE: Cannot apply to the program without these preliminary steps **

Please begin these steps if you are *considering* applying to FLSP to prevent hiccups before 11/28 

deadline. Begin these ASAP.

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Key steps in applying to FLSP 

2. Access and review FLSP materials.

• Visit the AMS website (www.ams.usda.gov/flsp) or navigate to the opportunity in 

Grants.gov (Assistance Listing 10.978).

• Read the FLSP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) and determine if you are eligible 

(Section 3.0), Narrative Application Form and the FLSP General Terms and Conditions.

3. Determine Application Type

• Review Section 3.3 Application Types. 

• Consider implications of each option if you are part of an association (that is your 

agent) or typically apply for H-2A through a joint employment partnership. 

• If part of an association or joint employer relationship, discuss their interest in the 

program and determine if you will apply together and at what level.

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Key steps in applying to FLSP 

4. Determine the range of awards you are eligible for based on FTEs 

• Calculate how many annual FTEs you have. To get FTE for the year, divide the total annual worker 

hours worked by 2080 (which assumes a 40-hour workweek for 52 weeks of the year). 

• See Table 1 (Section 1.3 in NFO) with range of awards available, depending on the size of your 

operation and commitment level. Your FTE total tells you which column in the table you are eligible 

for.

5. Decide on your desire Award Level (Baseline, Silver or Platinum)

• Determine which commitments your operation would like to choose and consider how to implement 

each one based on the Supplemental Employee Commitments describe in NFO (Table 3).

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Key steps in applying to FLSP 

6. Fill out your application. 

• All application forms/templates available on the 

FLSP website: 

www.ams.usda.gov/flsp and Grants.gov

(Assistance Listing 10.978). 

• All applications must be submitted 

electronically. Paper/mailed applications will 

not be accepted. 

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How to Apply: review FLSP Webinars

e at USDA

Date Type / Focus

25-Oct Basic Program Overview

31-Oct NCA Recruitment

8-Nov Achieving Silver/Platinum

15-Nov en Español

27-Nov / Dec 4 Small Growers

6-Dec H-2A overview

https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/flsp/assistance

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Final FLSP Office 

Hours immediately 

following this 

webinar
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Questions?

Please email 

FLSPgrants@usda.gov

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Q & A

More Questions?

❑ Check the FAQs! www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/flsp/faq

❑ Email FLSPgrants@usda.gov

❑ H-2A and NCA Recruitment related-questions: 

❑ Contact the Northern Central American Ministries

❑ NCA@sesolabor.com

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