Farmworker Union Opposes Huge Water Subsidies for Calif. Agribusiness

Written by Bruce Goldstein Tuesday, 23 February 2010 21:38

Arturo Rodriguez, President of the United Farm Workers, penned an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle opposing huge subsidies to provide agribusiness with water, especially since farmworkers are suffering heat stroke in the field due to lack of adequate drinking water and shade. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/22/ED7U1BUUH3.DTL

American Farm Bureau on the Wrong Side of History Again

Written by Bruce Goldstein Wednesday, 13 January 2010 16:05

CongressDaily (1/12/2010) reports  that the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Seattle unanimously passed a resolution to oppose climate-protection legislation that would create a cap-and-trade program and to support a suspension of EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.  Among other things, the Farm Bureau  believes that one result of environmental protection would be planting of trees at the expense of crops.

A blog post on Grist by a reporter who attended the convention (with the naive hope of seeing support for sustainable agriculture) and interviewed the Farm Bureau's president is worth reading.  

The Farm Bureau does not support the AgJOBS farmworker immigration bill that has the support of many major agribusiness groups across the country.   

Farmworkers' Safety Still Ignored by Congressional Supporters of Ag.

Written by Bruce Goldstein Friday, 13 November 2009 11:25

What's missing from this press release about a bill to provide funding for grants to conduct research and development to help improve food safety?

"WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. today introduced S. 2758, the Growing Safe Food Act, to help farmers and food processors ensure the safety of our nation's food supply. The bill was introduced with six co-sponsors: Sens. Bingaman, Boxer, Gillibrand, Leahy, Merkley, and Sanders. The Senate is currently considering food safety reform proposals that would increase FDA food inspections and improve our food safety system. This bill will provide small and medium sized farmers, food processors, and wholesalers technical assistance and education to effectively implement these new reforms."

You guessed it: farmworkers. The people who cultivate, harvest and pack fruits and vegetables are omitted. Yet they perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. Farmworkers are hit with the first dose of the pesticides and disease that consumers fear. They need much greater research and development on health risks and ways to improve occupational safety in the fields.

This bill is aimed at food safety but is written so that the funding goes to farmers and to organizations that will study the needs of farmers. Farmworkers are left out. We and others are pressing for more research on safety in the fields for agricultural workers. We'll keep you informed.

Health Care Reform Must Be Followed by Immigration Reform

Written by Bruce Goldstein Saturday, 07 November 2009 23:41

Most farmworkers will not benefit from the House-passed health care reform bill because most farmworkers lack authorized immigration status.  In other words, once again, farmworkers are excluded from the systems and protections applicable to most people in this country.  Under the National Labor Relations Act, agricultural workers are simply excluded based on their occupation.  Now, because our broken immigration system allowed employers to hire undocumented immigrants, farmworkers are excluded because they don't have the immigration status needed to be eligible.  We subject farmworkers to a vulnerable, undocumented status while taking advantage of their labor in one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.  Then we deny them meaningful access to health care.

We need immigration reform.  We need to pass the AgJOBS bill.  Farmworker Justice will help farmworkers and their organizations pass AgJOBS.  We'll need your support.