Sunday, May 31, 2020

WASHINGTON FARMWORKERS BECOME COVID-19 GUINEA PIGS...

The Reality Check: WASHINGTON FARMWORKERS BECOME COVID-19 GUINEA PIGS...: WASHINGTON FARMWORKERS BECOME COVID-19 GUINEA PIGS By David Bacon Capital & Main, 5/21/20 https://capitalandmain.com/ A room in a ...



Strike in the Yakima Valley,

Monday, May 25, 2020

Support Striking Fruit Workers

SÍ SE PUEDE -- The Yakima Herald-Republic reports: Strikes continued at six fruit packing houses Monday, though not without some pushback. Hansen Fruit workers had to relocate after the company prohibited activity at a previous site near the plant’s parking lot, said Edgar Franks of Familias Unidas por la Justicia, a farmworkers union. Workers are seeking, among several things, more assurances that officials are following social distancing and cleaning procedures, and hazard pay. The union has been in the Yakima Valley since May 8 to assist workers in strikes, which started last week. However, the union and other groups supporting the strikes said workers at individual plants are leading the strikes. 

TAKE A STAND! — You can support these striking workers by:

1) Following and sharing #EssentialWorkers news via FUJ’s Facebook and Twitter pages and C2C’s Facebook page.

2) If you are in the area, sign up for strike support on the picket lines.

3) Give the gift of solidarity by making a donation to this GoFundMe strike fund for striking ag workers’ families and/or make a contribution to FUJ.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Essential Workers in Meat Packing Giant

LULAC National President Meets With UFCW And JBS Meatpacking Company On Fact Finding Mission

Leader of Nation’s Oldest & Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Holds Talks With Labor and CEO, Then Visits Plant in Greeley, Colorado

Washington, DC – Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President held face-to-face talks with Andre Nogueira, JBS USA Food Company Chief Executive at the company’s world headquarters in Greeley, Colorado. Wednesday evening, he first met with Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7 whose union represents workers at the JBS facility in Greeley. On Thursday, Garcia conducted a firsthand, on-site tour of the facility to observe for himself conditions for the more than 3,000 workers at the plant, the majority of whom are Latino.
President Garcia and JBS CEO Andre Nogueira
“Our discussions with Mr. Nogueira and his executive staff were frank and honest, focusing on making sure that JBS employees are working in the safest conditions possible while facing a continuing invisible enemy, the coronavirus and I am encouraged by what I have seen and heard,” said Garcia. “Several weeks ago, LULAC presented JBS with a very specific list of demands in changes that workers told us they needed including being provided more personal protection equipment (PPE), installing partitions in the production areas and slowing down the line to reduce the risks within an industry hard hit by COVID-19. They also wanted more testing and assurances that employees who could not work because they were sick would not lose their pay or be fired. I can tell you from what I have seen today that JBS met each of the demands, so progress has been made in what is still very much an on-going process,” added Garcia.
President Domingo Garcia preparing for inspection of JBS USA
LULAC requested and received unrestricted access to the JBS plant without preconditions while agreeing to follow the company’s safe distancing policies. Garcia questioned Nogueira about concerns voiced by both some employees and the union that the company was placing profit above workers’ safety. Nogueira informed LULAC that the company’s production quotas and key performance indicators are suspended at present with the sole focus being worker safety. Also, that design changes are being made in real time at all JBS sites to deal with an elusive virus as more is learned about its behavior.
President Domingo Garcia inspecting JBS USA Food Company pla
“Our number one goal is the protection of the essential frontline food processing workers and protecting the quality of America’s food supply.” said Garcia. “JBS has agreed to give LULAC access to any of its plants across the United States for our inspection and the company committed to continue this work in progress with us because there is still more that can be done. LULAC is here to facilitate dialogue that will lead to solutions to protect Jose y Maria. My takeaway today from this inspection is how hard everyone is working here to feed our country. From the men and women on the line to supervisors and management; these are important essential workers and we want both the industry and labor to come together to fight this common enemy. It’s in everyone's interest to do this,” he concluded.
While much progress has been made, screening, testing, contact tracing, PPE, social distancing, and continued education must become the new normal in the food processing industry. Also, employees must continue to be guaranteed hazard pay, full paid sick leave, free and easy access to COVID-19 testing and treatment, and temporary protective status with pathway to citizens for all essential workers.
President Domingo Garcia inspecting JBS USA Food Company pla
LULAC will continue to monitor and track the number of sick employees and COVID-19 related fatalities across the industry to ensure worker safety remains the top priority for these companies and we will hold them accountable to ensure they maintain and continue to enhance their efforts to combat this global pandemic.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Friday, May 15, 2020

Relief for All ( including the undocumented)


The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) announced yesterday (attached) the regional non-profit organizations that were selected to distribute the disaster relief assistance. Applications for disaster relief assistance services will be available on Monday, May 18, 2020. Applications will not be accepted prior to May 18th. 

Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. The disaster relief assistance amount is $500 per person, with a maximum of two individuals ($1000) per household. 
To be eligible for disaster relief assistance, an individual must be able to provide information that they:

(1) are an undocumented adult (person over the age of 18);
(2) are not eligible for federal COVID-19 related assistance, like CARES Act tax stimulus payments or pandemic unemployment benefits; and 
(3) have experienced a hardship as a result of COVID-19. 
For more information, please visit: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/immigration/covid-19-drai

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Trump is Using the Virus to Cover Up Major Deportations

Trump is using the Virus to cover up mass deportations.


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/opinion/trump-coronavirus-immigration.html?

Resistance Wall in Davis. COVID WORKERS ON THE WALL

The Reality Check: COVID WORKERS ON THE WALL: COVID WORKERS ON THE WALL Wall installation in Davis, CA A WORKING LENS (A.W.L) is a project of Class Conscious Photographers, a collective ...

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Dolores Huerta Endorses Biden


Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, who earlier backed Senator Kamala Harris of California for the Democratic presidential nomination, has endorsed former Biden. 
Huerta, who turned 90 in April, co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with César Chávez and coined the phrase “Sí se puede.” Despite her age, Huerta remains active in a wide range of progressive causes, including the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Huerta pledged to do “whatever I possibly, humanly can to make sure that Joe Biden gets elected.” She appeared Sunday online as part of a Todos Con Biden, or Everyone with Biden, live-streamed event with actor-comedian John Leguizamo, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat, and former U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. 
Biden had trouble gaining ground among Latino voters in the Democratic primaries against progressive firebrand, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who has since dropped out of the race.  Newsweek reported this week that the Biden campaign “is launching a multimillion-dollar Latino vote campaign after recent polling showed lagging enthusiasm among [Latinos], including evidence that he needed to invest heavily to attract Latino men to help him secure the presidency…”
Biden’s outreach effort is aimed at Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Texas (all states with large Latino populations). In addition, targeted investments will be “aimed at smaller Latino communities in the Midwest states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, where Trump won by razor-thin margins,” Newsweek reported.
President Donald Trump’s campaign is making a major push to lure Latino voters, more than 70 percent of whom supported Hillary Clinton for president in 2016.
Vanguardia America is a free weekly newsletter. To sign up, email Editor and Publisher James E. Garcia at vanguardianews@gmail.com.

Friday, May 08, 2020

Parental Response - COVID 19

Choosing Democracy: Parental Response - COVID 19: COVID! by Dignity In Schools, (DSC )CA.   One of the ways the Black Parallel School Board fights for educational justice is through ...

Thursday, May 07, 2020

SCUSD- Internet Access

Choosing Democracy: SCUSD- Internet Access: SACRAMENTO, CA  — Sacramento City Unified School District, the City of Sacramento, and Comcast today announced a new effort to provide Sac...

Wednesday, May 06, 2020

Monday, May 04, 2020

LULAC Defends Essential Workers - Recorded Town Hall



LULAC, The League of Latin American Citizens, held a Town Hall this morning with Vice President Biden and several key congresspeople on Protecting Essential Workers including a focus on meat packing and farm labor. 

Speakers.  Congresspersons able to make a difference.

Domingo Garcia, National President, LULAC
Sindy Benavides, CEO, LULAC
Joe Biden, Vice President
Bennie Thompson, Homeland Security Committee Chair (MS-2)
Zoe Lofgren, Judiciary Subcommittee Chair (CA-19)
Joaquin Castro, CHC Chair (TX-20)
Filemon Vela. Agriculture Subcommittee Chair (TX-34)

Here is the recording.

Biden made a strong case for defending workers in the meatpacking plants. He described meat packing and chicken packing plants accurately and their lack of safety precautions,    Unfortunately, most of the plants are non union. If we had a pro union president this would not be happening – such as FDR in the 1930’s. 
 And, the Trump Administration is using OSHA to not enforce workplace safety rules.   This is not an accident. See the history of union busting in meat packing,. 
There was extensive discussion of undocumented workers in these plants and their exploitation.  Congressman Vela and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren were clear and engaged in seeking to extend worker protection to these workers and to reign in ICE.  One effort was to urge that all these workers receive TPS during the crisis.  They also recognized the need for permanent immigration reform to protect these workers and their families, 

There was significant discussion of how work place safety could be improved, including by facilitation unionization.

A number of speakers were family members of workers in these plants, several with Covid 19 cases.  I hope to find the recording a post a link to it.

Joaquin Castro, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus was particularly effective in arguing for multiple reforms to protect workers during the pandemic and in the future.  All agreed that testing and tracking was needed, and few of the plants provide testing and safe work places- even while they are required to stay open and subsidized by recent legislation, 
Congressman Castro particularly urged all community  activists to demand change now, to not wait until the fall elections,  Yes, the elections are important, but the crisis is now. 

LULAC is a moderate to conservative Civil Rights Organization.  Like the NAACP, and the National Urban League, it accepts donations from corporations,.  For example, they have recently accepted many donations from Tyson foods, 

Saturday, May 02, 2020

Protecting Essential Workers

LULAC Town Hall on COVID-19
Protecting Essential Workers

Monday, May 4th
12:00 - 1:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST / 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST
Register Today

LULAC Town Hall on COVID-19:Protecting Essential Workers
A discussion on protecting essential workers rights in the food industry, impact on Latino families and communities, and government oversight and policy on one of the most critical issues affecting the U.S. food supply chain.
Join us as we take questions and have a conversation with families and children of food industry workers affected by COVID-19 from across the country.
Event Details
When: Monday, May 4, 2020
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST /
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CST /
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST
Host
Enrique Acevedo
Host, Univision Noticias
Featured Speakers
Domingo Garcia
LULAC National President




Sindy BenavidesLULAC CEO,  Rep. Bennie Thompson,  Mississippi (District 2),

Homeland Security Committee Chair


Rep. Zoe Lofgren ,California (District 19)  Judiciary Subcommittee Chair
Rep. Joaquin CastroTexas (District 20), CHC Chair
Rep. Filemon Vela, Texas (District 34) Agriculture Subcommittee Chair


To RSVP and receive conference information via email. See link






Friday, May 01, 2020

GUEST WORKERS ON FARMS STAND IN THE EYE OF THE COVID

The Reality Check: GUEST WORKERS ON FARMS STAND IN THE EYE OF THE COV...: GUEST WORKERS ON FARMS STAND IN THE EYE OF THE COVID STORM By David Bacon Capital & Main, 4/30/20 https://capitalandmain.com/guest-worke...



Favors for growers, COVID for workers