The report examines characteristics of crew workers (farmworkers who work for contractors) and noncrew workers in 1981 and reviews Federal legislation designed to protect crew workers and to control farm labor contractors. During 1981 approximately 250,000 crew workers comprised 10% of hired farmworkers. Crew workers were 53% White, 28% Hispanic, and 19% Black or other racial/ethnic groups. Most lived in the Southeast, North Central Lake States, Southwest, and Lower Pacific Coast regions of the United States. Their earnings averaged $2,772 annually. Long-term crew workers (working more than 75 days in a crew) comprised 21% of all crew workers, were 59% Hispanic and 19% Black, were 25-54 years old, and were not high school graduates (87%). Short-term crew workers comprised about 79% of crew workers, were mostly young and White, and most were students doing farmwork during school breaks. Noncrew farmworkers averaged more days of farmwork in 1981 and had higher earnings than did crew workers, averaging $4,470 annually. Of the 9,774 people who registered for certification to hire farmworkers for crew work in 1981, 2,557 applied for Department of Labor authorization to transport workers to and from work, and 827 applied for authorization to provide housing for their employees. (NEC)