Illustration of two farmworkers reading a booklet together. Beneath them is a farmstead, with barn, housing, and cows walking across a tall field.

Know Your Rights Manual

These illustrations were produced in collaboration with Vermont Law School and Migrant Justice in 2017 as part of a guidebook on housing and employment law for agricultural workers in Vermont. Bringing illustrations to the manual was aimed at improving the accessibility of important legal information while also demonstrating best practices for farmworkers to use in defending their rights, safety, and dignity on the job. The final booklet was printed in both English and Spanish.

Illustration of a person inside their home, as a police office knocks on their door.

Illustration of a farmworker feeding hay to two cows.

Illustration of a farmworker reporting a water leak to their boss, who later visits to make a repair.

Illustration of three cows grazing in a field, with a barn and farmworker house in the distance.

Illustration of a farmworker holding booklets on worker health and safety and worker rights. Chemical and machinery risks are shown above, including the tractors with overhead roll-over protection, and the teat dip chemicals used to sanitize the cow during milking.

Copy of Reporting Issues to Landlord

Illustration of a pay check showing earnings and deductions.

Illustration of a group of workers in front of a barn. A sheet of paper in the foreground reads "How to calculate your income" with a simple calculation beneath. $550/week divided by 60 hours/week, equals $9.16/hour.

Illustration of a farmworker holding a booklet, which contains housing and employment safety info and guidance on how to protect themself as a worker.

Illustration of two cows in a field with barns and mountains in the distance.

Spanish-language comic. Shows a farmworker asking for a day off, and being told by the owner that she can take one in two days. In the second comic, she announces that it's her day off, and the farmer threatens to fire her if she takes it.

Illustration of a person checking their watch as they milk a cow. Behind them, a person is walking across a clock with a cow.

Illustration of a farmworker meeting and being examined by their doctor.

Illustration of a hand making a thumbs up sign. Text reads: "Best Practices." (Buenas y Mejores Practicas in Spanish).

Illustration of a tractor driving past a barn and silo.

Illustration of a farmworker walking down the driveway away from their house. Mountains are visible in the distance.

Illustration of a smoke alarm, fire extinguisher, and carbon monoxide alarm. Demonstrates their likely placement in the home.

Illustration of a farmworker's time tracking sheet, totaling the hours worked, start and end times, and if they got hurt.

Illustration of a farmworker bundled under a blanket in his home. He is adjusting the thermostat and looks distraught.

Illustration showing the entry to a barn, with silos and farm house in the distance.

Illustration of a sick person making a phone call while they cough into their hand. The second image shows them sleeping on the couch under a blanket.

Illustration of a farmworker welcoming two people into their home. One is wearing a Migrant Justice shirt and carrying food. The other is carrying books.

Illustration of four cow eating hay in their barn.

Illustration of a home with cutaways revealing the upstairs bathroom and inside kitchen area. Outside, a person is grilling, while another sits on the porch. Someone else is walking their bike to the house.

Comic showing a mother in a waiting room with her son. She says "No hablo ingles, necesito interprete." The next panel shows her seated with her son, a doctor, and interpreter in a doctor's office.

Illustration of three housing safety issues: a broken door knob, overflowing toilet, and trash pile up are shown.

Illustration showing a person receiving a new house key. In the background, a person leaps from one home to another.

Illustration of a person milking cows, and then going home to eat and use the restroom.

Illustration of a tractor driving between two large feed piles covered in tires. At the top is a comic showing the grow cycle of the cow feed on the farm.

Illustration of a farmworker carrying a calf through the barn.

Illustration of a child holding her backpack and walking in front of her home. Scenes around her show reasons for taking time off school, including: a bee sting, and doctor's office visit.

Illustration showing three scenes emerging from a stream of water pouring out of a faucet. They show a person getting water from their tap, a shower head raining down ice water, and a person getting water out of a 5 gallon water dispenser.

A farmworker is shown traveling from the farm to the doctor's office after hurting his wrist in a fall in the barn. He is shown telling the farmer what happened and documenting how he was hurt. Later, a doctor's bill arrives in the mail.

Illustration showing the silhouette of a farmworker behind a form that reads "Work Injury Claim - Approved."

Illustration of a farmworker sleeping beside their window on a moon-lit night. Their cell phone alarm goes off, and they head into work in the middle of the night.

Comic illustration of a farmworker brushing out the barn. Farmworkers are walking with cows up to the barn, and a picturesque hillside is in the distance.

Illustration of a hand holding a cell phone in the air beneath the text "Teleayuda" (Helpline in Spanish).

Illustration of a farmworker safety graphic. Shows the areas to consider when working with cows: the blind spot to their rear, the flight zone where they may run when startled, and the point of balance across their shoulders.

Illustration showing a cutaway of a farmworker's house, demonstrating the elements of quality housing, where the space is free of water leaks and rodent infestation, and the structure is sound.

Illustration of a farmworker seated at his kitchen table, with a roommate entering the home behind him. Mountains are in view through the kitchen windows. Above this scene, there is a view to the milking barn, and the sky turns from night to day as the farmworker completes his shift.

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