Give farm workers a voice

[Omaha Steve]

Give farm workers a voice

April 18 is farm worker lobby day. More than 300 farm workers from throughout California want to go to Sacramento and appeal to their elected representatives for legislation that will ensure their voices are heard. Your donation can help us rent six buses, additional vans, plus pay for food and other supplies.

Every year throughout the last seven years the UFW has sponsored a farm worker lobby day where farm workers go to the capitol and lobby their representatives for help. Our lobby day efforts have proven themselves successful. Some key results include: winning laws on issues such as pesticide protections, farm labor contractor reforms, elimination of back breaking hand weeding, binding mediation of labor disputes, increase in the minimum wage and last year we won important heat protection regulations. With your help we can do it again and win more laws to protect farm workers.

After all it’s one thing when union officials or lobbyist tell the workers’ story. It’s completely different when farm workers themselves tell politicians their stories. There is nothing more powerful then the legislators hearing worker stories first hand.

It takes an incredible amount of courage for workers to attend farm worker lobby day. By speaking up they open themselves to getting noticed and targeted. Yet, these 300 workers know the only way change will take place is through their own efforts and self-help.

It will cost $9,345 just to rent the buses and vans needed. We’re hoping our internet supporters will contribute $4,500 towards this expense. This will cover the transportation costs of 145 workers.

You can send workers like Juan Jaimes who wants to tell legislators about how he has endured extremely unsanitary conditions, Manuel Nunez who wants to talk about how he is forced to pay for and supply tools necessary to do his job and Zulma Avila who is required to work off-the-clock every day. Can you make sure Juan, Manuel and Zulma get seats on the bus?

Your donation will give farm workers the opportunity to see lawmaking in action and become empowered through the process.

Please make your donation today!

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