Farm workers aren't the only ones whose future is threatened by salt water intrusion. Our opponents claim the United Farm Workers is out to destroy the strawberry industry. This UFW-sponsored water initiative proves they're wrong. The UFW has already brought improvements for workers in the strawberry industry. However, further improvements from union contracts will be in vain if saltwater intrusion makes the water unfit for farming strawberries or other crops.
All farm workers have a vital interest in preserving the water upon which their livelihoods depend.
These charts illustrate the threat from overdraft and saltwater intrusion. With proper management, the Pajaro Basin can safely yield 50,000 acre feet of water a year. Thirty-six percent more water is taken out of the basin annually than is returned to it. Seawater is moving inland at an alarming rate. As seawater contaminates wells, crop yields will drop, farms will be forced to close and thousands of farm worker jobs will be destroyed.