A sixth farm worker just died of heat stroke Pix of the 6 and E action petition

[Omaha Steve]

E-mail California legislators today: http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/heatdeath15?rk=X7S3S57qEzzUE

Maria de Jesus Alvarez, 63, mother of nine died on August 2. Maria had been picking table grapes for Anthony Vineyards and was employed through farm labor contractor Manuel Torres during the afternoon of July 15. She began feeling ill and went home. According to witnesses, she was working in a crew of 150 workers and they had no shade nor had they received training in heat stroke prevention and precautions as mandated by state law. According to weather.com, the high that day was 111 degrees.

After Maria's condition deteriorated, she was taken to a hospital on July 19. The doctor determined she was severely dehydrated and had suffered heat stroke. After being treated and admitted by two different hospitals, Maria died Aug. 2.

Maria's death makes six farm workers who died of heat exposure since May and the 15th farm worker heat death since CA Governor Schwarzenegger took office.

These recent deaths make it clear the state does not have the capacity to protect farm workers. As California's summer sizzles we must do everything we can to ensure that no more farm workers fall victim to the heat because the laws written to protect them are not enforced. Speaker Emeritus Fabian Nunez has introduced secret ballot legislation which has moved out of the assembly and which is now in the state senate. The bill, "Secret Ballot Elections for Farm Workers", protects farm workers' right to a secret ballot election and will make it easier for farm workers to organize and enforce the laws that the state cannot enforce.

Please take action immediately and click to send a e-mail to California legislators and tell them something needs to be done NOW. It's time to put a law in place that will allow farm workers to protect themselves!

http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/heatdeath15

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For continuous updates on this issue, including news clips, press statements, videos, photos, etc., go to: www.ufw.org/heatregs

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Suspected Heat-Related Farm Worker Deaths Since May



May 14, 2008: 17 year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez who died while laboring in the Stockton area grape vines for Merced Farm Labor in vineyard owned by West Coast Grape Farming. Hundreds attended her funeral and marched to Sacramento to call attention to her tragic death.



June 20, 2008: Jose Macrena Hernandez, 64, died during a record-breaking heat wave on June 20 while harvesting butternut squash in Santa Maria on land owned by Sunrise Growers. According to news reports, temperatures reached 110 degrees that day.



July 9, 2008: Abdon Felix Garcia, 42, father of three, died after spending the morning and early afternoon working for Sunview Vineyards in Arvin. The coroner says Felix's core body temperature was measured at 108 degrees just 13 minutes before his death.



July 9, 2008: Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez, 48, father of two, died in Selma, CA on Thursday afternoon after working all day for Sun Valley Packing in Reedley thru a farm labor contractor. Ramiro had complained of being sick from the heat. He was taken home by his foreman. He passed out almost as soon as he got in the house. By the time an ambulance got there he was dead on arrival. He leaves behind two children ages 13 and 16.



July 31, 2008: Jorge Herrera, 37, died on July 31. Jorge worked for a labor contractor and was loading table grapes when he passed out July 10 and was taken to the hospital. His core body temperature was 108 degrees, the same as the high temperature reported that day by the National Weather Service.



August 2, 2008: Maria de Jesus Alvarez, 63, mother of nine, had been picking table grapes for Anthony Vineyards and was employed through farm labor contractor Manuel Torres during the afternoon of July 15. She began feeling ill and went home. According to witnesses, she was working in a crew of 150 workers and they had no shade nor had they received training in heat stroke prevention and precautions as mandated by state law. After her condition deteriorated, Maria was taken to a hospital on July 19. The doctor determined she was severely dehydrated and had suffered heat stroke. After being treated and admitted by two different hospitals, Maria died on Aug. 2.


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