…A state-appointed arbitrator imposed a union contract at the farm five months ago, at the beginning of the growing season. Workers had just arrived from Jamaica to plant saplings, and thought the new contract would grant them higher pay, benefits, and job security.

Now, the apple harvest in New York is reaching its peak, workers will return home in November, and Wafler Farms still isn’t following the contract. Instead, the farm sued to overturn it, and in July, a judge temporarily blocked the contract from taking effect while the suit proceeds…

During those long days, workers walk up and down the rows of apples, followed by a machine that carries bins of picked fruit and sets a backbreaking pace. It monitors their work and notifies supervisors if they slow down or make mistakes…

The port-a-potties in the field, Ming said, are in “deplorable condition.” Workers are afraid to speak up about issues like the risks of inhaling pesticides, which have sent some to the doctor…

Jacob Wafler, the farm’s co-owner, disputed the claim that workers have received medical attention for pesticide exposure, and he said that the farm’s port-a-potties are cleaned regularly. …