On Tuesday, December 15, 2009, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D.-Ill.) introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill – Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (CIR ASAP). CIR ASAP includes the AgJOBS farmworker immigration legislation, which would provide undocumented farmworkers an opportunity to earn legal status through continued work in agriculture. CIR ASAP has 91 cosponsors and is supported by the Congressional Hispanic , Black , Progressive , and Asian Pacific American Caucuses.

Take action now! Please call the White House and support Congressman Gutierrez' bill.

For the National Immigration Forum’s summary of the bill, click HERE

A little bit of effort can sometimes go a long way. This is one of those cases.

Workers are organizing for justice in their work place at Giumarra Vineyards. Giumarra is the largest table grape grower in the US. Employing nearly 3000 farm workers in California, it markets its grapes and numerous other fruits and vegetables from around the world under the name Nature’s Partner. But it is no partner to the workers; Giumarra has one of the most egregious histories of abusing farm workers in the state. Two out of 15 farm workers who have died heat-related illnesses died while picking grapes for Giumarra. For more background information on this campaign, click HERE.

You can help support the workers at Giumarra by simply sending a letter. The UFW is talking to grocery chains about Giumarra’s treatment of its workers. One of the chains that has chosen not to respond to the UFW and unwilling to listen to the stories of workers from Giumarra is Cincinnati-based Kroger. In southern California, Kroger owns Ralphs and Food-4-Less and in 31 states owns several other grocery store chains. (see list of all Kroger owned chains and their locations here.) We are calling on individuals and congregations to send letters to their local stores’ managers.

Click HERE if you are the pastor or leader of your congregation that would like to send a letter on behalf of your congregation.

Click HERE to download the template if you are an individual wanting to send a letter.

Thank you for supporting farm workers! And PLEASE send us a copy of the letters you send either by fax to (323) 263-2807 or a hard copy in the mail to:
National Farm Worker Ministry
4545 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90022

Any questions, please contact Lucy Boutte (951-634-8817) or Christy Lafferty
(323-893-9605).

UFW Organizing team and a current worker leader at Giumarra Vineyards

Christy Lafferty, NFWM California staff member, spent 6 weeks in the area of Bakersfield and Delano, CA in the San Joaquin Valley during September and October this year. She worked alongside the UFW organizing team and worker leaders there as they worked on the current campaign at Giumarra Vineyards. After this unique opportunity to directly experience the successes and challenges in organizing farm workers, she wrote this reflection that you can download and read by clicking HERE. Here is an excerpt from Christy's reflection:

"When you shake a farm worker’s hand, you will feel the results of years of hard physical labor. But you will see in his or her eyes a humility and a gentle strength and ability to still hope for the day when they will receive the respect and just compensation for the work they do to feed their families. And that hope remains most when they join together and grows even stronger when they know that they have allies in the people who buy the fruits and vegetables they pick."

By John Munson, Director Oregon Farm Worker Ministry

Two workers active in an effort to form a union were fired over the weekend (August 15 - 16) by Ruby Ridge Dairy owners Dick and Ruby Bengen in Pasco, Washington. Four workers who had circulated pro-union pledge cards were fired in the last few weeks.

Workers report a climate of fear at the dairy, which employs some forty people. They also report that they received less than the wages to which they were entitled, that they were required to work long hours without rest or lunch breaks, were not allowed sick leave with or without pay, and that they were required to use machinery without proper instruction or protection. Bengen, who is vocal in his opposition to the union and who has stated that a union would "take the fun away from diary farming" alleges that the workers were fired for cause.

Several former workers from the dairy have filed a complaint against Ruby Ridge in the Superior Court of Franklin County, Washington.

On Friday August 7th, the Board and Staff of the National Farm Worker Ministry were joined by NFWM supporters and clergy from North Carolina for a day of activities in support of farm workers who toil in tobacco fields, inclulding a moving service held at a tobacco field honoring the sacrifices of farm workers.

On Tuesday, July 28th, about 200 farm worker supporters, including members of clergy from Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim faith traditions gathered at the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market to raise awareness about the 15 heat-related deaths in the fields of California since 2004. The vigil was held on the 5-year anniversary of the death of Asuncion Valdivia, the first of the fifteen to pass away who died while he was picking grapes for Guimarra Vineyards. Virginia Nesmith, NFWM director, welcomed the crowd to the vigil, sponsored by NFWM and the UFW. Arturo Rodriguez, UFW spoke as well as farm workers, clergy and several politicians.

Two days later, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) affiliates of Southern California and San Diego and Imperial Counties, and the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, filed a landmark lawsuit against the state and its Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA) for failing to live up to their constitutional and statutory duties to protect the safety of farm workers. Click here for more information.

Here’s the news from Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida …

NFWM had some fantastic news today: Alderman Farms and Lady Moon Farms, two of Florida's largest organic growers, have agreed to pass the penny-per-pound wage increase onto farmworkers!!

Whole Foods Market confirmed today that Alderman Farms and Lady Moon Farms have reached agreements with Whole Foods to support the CIW's penny-per-pound program and meet strict labor standards. This step forward by Alderman Farms and Lady Moon Farms effectively breaks the stalemate established nearly two seasons ago when the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange (FTGE) threatened to fine any of its members that sold tomatoes under the terms of the CIW agreements.

On May 6th, NFWM, FLOC, farm workers and other allies gathered in Winston Salem, NC for a day of actions during the annual shareholders meeting of Reynolds Tobacco (RAI). We were there to tell Reynolds’ management and shareholders that farm workers are stakeholders too!

The day began with a brief prayer service outside of Reynolds led by Kevin Todd, Duke Divinity Field Education Intern at NFWM NC. Together, they read the Litany, “Give us hope in a new day in which all women and men will know justice, peace, equality, and love; A new day when we will no longer need to gather to STRUGGLE for justice but will gather to CELEBRATE justice.”

Most of the workers who hand harvest the crops in our multi-billion dollar agricultural industry are immigrants and the majority lack legal documentation—despite our dependence on them. On May 14th, the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act - AgJOBS was reintroduced in the Senate by Sen. Diane Feinstein (SB 1038) and in the House by Reps. Berman and Putnam (HR 2414). AgJOBS is a bi-partisan bill agreed to by both farm worker advocates and major agricultural employers to address the agricultural immigration crisis. It allows immigrant farm workers to earn the legal right to permanently stay in this country by continuing to work in agriculture and reforms the current H2A guestworker program, providing growers with a safe and stable workforce.

Contact your Congress Member to Support AgJOBS
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