Spring-Summer-04
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FARMWORKER JUSTICE NEWS Volume 17, No. 1 Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. Summer 2004 FARMWORKER IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION BUILDS MOMENTUM press time. Most observers believe By Bruce Goldstein AgJOBS as an amendment to a piece of legislation that would be likely to that a large majority of House mem- At press time, coalition supporting pass on the Senate floor. Opposition bers would support AgJOBS if given the compromise farmworker immigra- by Senator Saxby Chambliss (R.-Ga.), the chance to vote on the proposal tion legislation known as “AgJOBS” who chairs the immigration subcom- (H.R. 3142). Rep. Chris Cannon (R.- (S. 1645) had made great progress. mittee, and who has introduced his Utah), Rep. Howard Berman (D.- As of June 4, in the Senate there were own harsh version of H-2A guest- Calif.) and Rep. Ciro Rodriguez 63 cosponsors, including 26 worker program “reform,” has been an (chair of the Congressional Hispanic Republicans, which means that there obstacle to consideration of the bill. Caucus) introduced legislation in the is strong enough support to overcome But few Senators are likely to oppose House. However, immigration any efforts at a filibuster. Few pieces the legislation during a vote. restrictionists holding key positions of power in the House, in the form of of legislation will pass the Senate at The strategy was to obtain a vote in committee and subcommittee chairs, this stage of an election year, but the Senate, building momentum with oppose AgJOBS despite the broad efforts were underway by the chief a large Senate majority supporting coalition of business, labor, civil sponsors, Sen. Larry Craig (R.- AgJOBS, and then move on to the rights, Latino, farmworker, religious Idaho), and Sen. Edward Kennedy House of Representatives. In the and other groups supporting the bill. (D.-Mass.), to consider adding House, there were 107 cosponsors at Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert supports the bill. FARMWORKER ADVOCATES USE Continued on Page 6 CONGRESS AND COURTS TO AFFECT W h a t ’ s PESTICIDE POLICY I n s i d e . Congress and the courts for some By Shelley Davis relief. FJF STAFF AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS . .2 With an estimated 10,000-20,000 FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR FJF . .2 In a legislative victory borne of com- farmworkers suffering from acute pes- BRIDGING BORDERS CONFERENCE . .3 promise, the Farmworker Justice Fund ticide poisonings each year and many PROMOTORA: JUANITA GENIS STEWART . .4 (FJF), the Natural Resources Defense more enduring the chronic effects of LIFE AND HEALTH IN ZACATECAS . .4 Council (NRDC), Protected Harvest such toxic exposure, pesticide-related MAJOR GIFTS CAMPAIGN . .5 illnesses continue to be one of the and other environmental, health and labor groups joined forces with HIV PREVENTION COMMUNITY FORUM . .6 chief occupational hazards facing 2004 FJF AWARD . .7 farmworkers. In recent months, farm- Croplife America and other industry worker advocates have turned to representatives to gain passage of the Continued on Page 3 FOUNDATION SUPPORT FOR FJF’S IMMIGRATION WORK: ENDING AN ERA, BEGINNING A NEW ONE against the government and private gram in the early 1960’s and has long By Bruce Goldstein employers regarding the H-2A guest- supported civil rights advocacy. His The Farmworker Justice Fund has been worker program has often been aided knowledge has been a valuable supported for many years by the by the Rosenberg Foundation’s gener- resource to the staff of the Rosenberg Foundation, which is based ous support. FJF’s ability to serve as a Farmworker Justice Fund. We cannot in San Francisco and maintains a spe- national resource on these issues has express adequately in words our deep cial focus on rural California. FJF’s been founded largely upon the appreciation to Kirke Wilson for his Guestworker Project has been recog- Rosenberg Foundation’s support. support and his guidance. We wish nized by the Rosenberg Foundation as him well and hope that he will con- The President of the Rosenberg especially important to California tinue to be available to help us on Foundation, Kirke Wilson, recently farmworkers. The Foundation’s Board occasion. We also express our thanks announced that he will retire after of Directors has supported our efforts to senior program officer Ellen thirty years of service to that organi- to educate the public and policymak- Widess, for her dedication to FJF’s mission. We are presently in the mid- dle of a two-year grant of $140,000 We cannot express adequately in words our per year from the Rosenberg deep appreciation to Foundation for our immigration poli- Kirke Wilson for his support and his guidance. cy work; it is a major grant that pro- foundly enables us to carry out our work on behalf of the nation’s farm- zation. Kirke has special expertise in ers about the problems of guestworker workers. Thanks, Kirke. programs and the need for extending farmworkers, rural communities and true immigration status to undocu- immigration policy. He participated In a new development, our immigra- mented workers. Our litigation in the struggle to end the Bracero pro- tion work now has the support of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. We recently received a one-year grant Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. of $75,000 from the Haas, Jr. Fund. BOARD OF RAMON RAMIREZ MYRTELINA GONZALEZ Bruce Goldstein and Virginia Ruiz DIRECTORS: Oregon Director of Training will carry out most of the work on the CATALINA BROYLES VIRGINIA RUIZ grant, which includes preparing and DOMINGO GONZALEZ, Arizona Staff Attorney disseminating educational materials Chair GRIZELLE APODACA Texas JUAN HERNANDEZ on major immigration policy propos- Arizona Capacity Building Assistance als that affect low-wage workers. We HUMBERTO FUENTES MOISES LOZA Coordinator Idaho thank the Board of Directors of the Washington, D.C. STEVEN D. DIAZ Fund, as well as our program officer, GENE ORTEGA KATHY L. KRIEGER AIDS Specialist New Mexico Henry Der. Washington, D.C. GRACY OLMEDA-RUIZ ED FEIGEN IRMA FLORES GONZALEZ Office Manager The new grant could have not have Washington, D.C. New Mexico LORNA N. BÁEZ come at a better time; the immigra- CARMEN GRANADOS Administrative Assistant tion debate on farmworkers is in full Wisconsin FJF STAFF: JAMES B. LEONARD swing and a broader debate about JACK GALLON Volunteer Attorney (part time) federal immigration policy has just Ohio BRUCE GOLDSTEIN Co-Executive Director Part-time Assistants begun again. With additional MARCOS CAMACHO resources, we can win even greater California SHELLEY DAVIS AMY CAVAZOS Co-Executive Director AMY LUBRANO successes for farmworkers and other low-wage immigrant workers. Page 2 Farmworker Justice News · Vol. 17, No.1 · Summer 2004 PEER EDUCATORS FROM U.S. AND MEXICO GATHER AT BRIDGING BORDERS TO PREVENT AIDS CONFERENCE Rosario Alberro of By Shelley Davis CMHI, an HIV pre- One hundred and thirteen promo- vention skit by pro- tores de salud (community health motores de salud educators), outreach workers, and from Organización AIDS specialists gathered in McAllen, en California de TX from March 5-7, 2004, for the Lideres Campesinas, first annual Bridging Borders to and a description of Prevent AIDS Conference. The par- the Mexican Social ticipants came from ten Mexican and Security’s rural pro- 12 U.S. states. The purpose of this motores de salud event was to: (1) form linkages program by Gilda between groups in the two countries Nina Montero of which provide HIV/AIDS prevention Programa IMSS Conference participants discuss the effects of contaminated drinking water on their health services to migrant farmworkers and Oportunidades Instituto Mexicano get to know each other and begin their families; and (2) to strengthen del Seguro Social (IMSS). The work- identifying ways in which they could the skills of these peer educators. The shops covered a wide range of topics collaborate. conference was hosted by the including popular education tech- By the close of the conference, 25 Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. (FJF), niques such as the use of theater and groups had signed Memoranda of and co-sponsored by the California- the creation of a fotonovela (comic Agreements to establish collaborative Mexico Health Initiative, University book style pamphlet with a health relationships. These agreements will of California, Office of the President message). Overall, the workshops initiate bi-national exchanges of of Berkeley, California (CMHI); addressed sexuality and culture, information, educational materials Compañeros of Ciudad Juarez, homophobia and stigma, counseling and training. The overwhelming Mexico; Migrant Health Promotion and testing, prevention with posi- majority of conference participants of Relampago, TX; SISEX of Mexico tives, etc. The final session was devot- praised the event and underscored City, Mexico; Valley AIDS Council of ed to regional meetings, which their support for future bi-national McAllen, TX; and the U.S. Mexico enabled groups in both countries to collaborations. Border Health Association of El Paso, TX. Support for the event was pro- vided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PESTICIDE POLICY Continued from Page 1 CMHI, and the U.S. Mexico Border Health Commission. Pesticide Registration Improvement reporting system, to increase funding Act (PRIA). This legislation increases for farmworker safety training, and to The program was divided into three the fees that a pesticide manufacturer create a right-to-know program for parts: plenary sessions, workshops, must pay to the EPA to obtain a agricultural workers. By requiring and regional network meetings. license to sell its products. As part of hazard communication in agriculture, Highlights of the plenary sessions the PRIA, a fund was created of the EPA would be fulfilling a promise included a personal account of a approximately $1 million per year for it made to farmworkers over a decade Mexican immigrant in the U.S. who five years to enhance farmworker pro- ago.