National Farm Worker Ministry an interfaith organization supporting farm workers as they organize for justice member organizations include nearly 40 national, state and local religious bodies
UFW Election Victory at Threemile Canyon Farms On November 27, 2006, a neutral arbitrator certified that a majority of workers at Threemile Canyon Farms signed union authorization cards indicating their desire for the United Farm Workers of America to represent them. [Read full statement.] Governor of Oregon calls agreement "a framework for collective bargaining in Oregon's agricultural sector, providing stability for growers and fairness for farm workers."
Oregon Farm Bureau president harshly criticizes union deal - Capital Press, December 5, 2006 In his main speech to the annual state Farm Bureau meeting held Dec. 5 in Bend, Ore., Bushue bluntly expressed his disappointment about the recent memorandum of agreement made between Three Mile Canyon Farms and United Farm Workers. Full article
Labor Day 2006: Articles on Farm Workers' Lives "Life of Hard Labor: Utah's 'Invisible' Work Force" - The Salt Lake Tribune,September 3, 2006 "The Summer of the Death of Hilario Guzman" - Los Angeles Times, September 3, 2006
A powerful story of one family's struggle to survive as immigrant farm workers. "From migrant to mainstream: Many young workers leave farm fields for classrooms, better lives" - Lansing State Journal, September 3, 2006
Responding with Faith to Immigration Campaign - July 2, 2006 The United Methodist Church has initiated a 10-week campaign (from Independence Day to Labor Day) to raise awareness and commitment about the concerns of immigrants among Christians. The campaign is seeking 100,000 Methodists to sign a pledge to stand with our immigrant neighbors. They also offer study guides that could be used in many contexts and can be printed from the web site each week.
Farmworkers and growers are uniting against a common foe: price pressure - Seattle Weekly, July 5, 2006 In the apple industry, after retailers, packers, and transporters get their cut from each dollar spent by consumers, 11 cents is left for the farm. The Pacific Northwest director of United Farm Workers, Erik Nicholson, says the ultimate goal is to get more money back to the farm so that both workers and farmers can benefit. That common goal has led farmworkers and their employers in the apple industry to communicate in ways that would have been unthinkable a decade or two ago. Read the full article.
United Farm Workers (UFW) members call for boycott of Charles Krug-Mondavi wines - Santa Rosa Press Democrat, June 16, 200606 Krug-Mondavi is threatening to fire the vineyard workers and turn over operations to a land manager as a cost-savings measure at the same time it is spending $21.6 million for capital improvements on their Napa Valley vineyards. Krug-Mondavi labels included in the boycott are: Charles Krug, C.K. Mondavi and C.R .Cellars More information on Krug-Mondavi boycott
Lawsuit forces EPA to take action to protect farm workers from pesticide- The Oregonian, June 16, 2006 The EPA has announced that it will phase out the use of Guthion as part of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by Farmworker Justice and Earthjustice on behalf of 5 farm worker groups, including UFW and PCUN.. "This pesticide has put thousands of workers at risk of serious illness every year," said Erik Nicholson of the United Farmworkers of America. "The phase out is welcome, although it should have come years ago.'
UFW & Global Horizons announce first nationdwide contract for guest workers - April 11, 2006 Global Horizons is one of America's largest suppliers of imported foreign farm workers, operating in dozens of states. The landmark agreement provides unionization as a practical remedy to the long history of abuse and lax enforcement of legal guarantees for imported foreign farm workers: NFWM statement [pdf]
CBS Special will highlight religious views on immigration- April, 2005 Check local listings for "A Fair Harvest: Religion's Response to Immigration Issues" after Sunday, April 23 The broadcast highlights the role of religious support in campaigns of tomato pickers in Florida and cucumber pickers in North Carolina Bert Perry, Florida Director of NFWM, is interviewed in the program along with Robert Edgar of the National Council of Churches, CIW members and others. A DVD copy of the program is available from NFWM.
FLOC Reports on Successes of First Year of Contract nearly 150 previously blacklisted employees were given employment Over $4,000 in wages were collected through grievances including reimbursements, sick pay, bereavement leave, and wage guarantee violations Read full report
