California Staff
National Farm Worker Ministry - California
4545 East Cesar E. Chavez Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90022
Lucy Boutte, Community Organizer
lboutte@nfwm.org
Cell: 951-634-8817
Christy Lafferty, Community Organizer
clafferty@nfwm.org
Cell: 323-893-9605
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Support Giumarra workers and write a letter!
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 one of the largest table grape growers in the US. Employing nearly 3,000 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. And a recent lawsuit against Giumarra filed by the federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) alleges that the company permitted a 17-year-old girl to be sexually harassed and then retaliated against her and 3 other workers for coming to her defense by firing them. 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 the CEO of the Kroger Co. at their headquarters in Cincinnati, OH. As the second largest retail grocery store chain in the country, the need to take a leadership role and work with the UFW to protect farm workers at Giumarra Vineyards.
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).
NFWM Staff member reflects on her time supporting the UFW organizing effort in the San Joaquin Valley
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."
Farm Worker Heat Deaths in California Highlighted in Interfaith Vigil
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.
NFWM and UFW Honor 15 fallen Farm Workers with Prayer Vigils
NFWM’s Christy Lafferty & Lucy Boutte join Maria's uncle, Doroteo Jimenez (center) and others in the vigil on May 14, 2009 to honor Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, who died of heatstroke last year while laboring in a San Joaquin Valley vineyard under nearly triple digit temperatures. Photo by Jocelyn Sherman/UFW.
Each year, many farm workers are denied water, rest, and shade by their employers as they work for hours under the hot summer sun, despite laws in California to protect farm workers from these very violations. Last summer alone, 6 farm workers lost their lives. NFWM and the United Farm Workers held prayer vigils throughout this summer in Los Angeles to honor the lives of 15 farm workers who have died heat-related deaths since 2004.
NFWM staff travel to Sacramento with farm workers to share their stories with state legislators
On Thursday, April 23, the anniversary of Cesar Chavez's death, about 100 farm workers traveled to the State Capitol in Sacramento to share their stories with Assemblymembers of California's state legislature. Their stories touched on the harsh reality that farm workers still live in today, specifically related to access to such basic needs as drinking water on the job.
Farm Worker Awareness Week and Cesar Chavez's legacy celebrated in California
Marches, masses, and presentations held at churches and universities were part of many events that commemorated Farm Worker Awareness Week and celebrated Cesar Chavez's birthday (March 31) and legacy in California.
