Corona Virus in Central Valley of California

On Monday, California  Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $52 million grant from the federal government aimed at slowing the coronavirus’s rampage through California’s Central Valley, where residents of predominantly Latino communities have consistently been required to keep showing up to work in fields or meatpacking plants and warehouses


The money will go toward more focused testing efforts to identify outbreaks, education for employees and employers about rights to sick leave and other safety issues, and improvements to quarantine and isolation protocols.

“It’s not the fact that an employee is tested positive,” Mr. Newsom said, standing before a banner for Diamond Foods, a company based in Stockton where at least six walnut processing plant workers recently tested positive for the coronavirus, according to The Stockton Record. “It’s how we respond.”

Mr. Newsom praised Diamond Foods for its response and its place in the community.

He also emphasized that the money would not be used for initiatives “in a punitive mind-set.” Instead, he said, teams sent to the Central Valley will work with employers to fix their processes.

This immigration reform is not good enough - PICO of California

At a mass meeting of over 1,000  and send-off of pilgrims, hosted by Pico of California, with Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto ,  Pico youth leaders  Cecilia Munoz and Noemi Hernandez declared, “this Immigration reform is not good enough “ at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sacramento on Aug.11, 2013.

The meeting in the packed church hall was a send off event for eleven pilgrims to begin a 285 mile walk through California’s Central Valley, the vegetable heart land of U.S. agriculture. – a pilgrimage toward citizenship.  The walk begins on Monday Aug. 11.  Religious and human rights activists are also  preparing to go to Modesto to  join with the pilgrims as they walk neighborhoods to bring pressure on Central Valley Congressmen who have not yet supported comprehensive immigration reform.  The 285 mile walk will conclude in 22 days  at the  Bakersfield office of  Cong. Kevin McCarthy, Republican  Majority Whip in the House.   McCarthy is not usually counted among the Tea Party Congress persons.  His  Bakersfield area district has a 35% Latino population and 22.8 %  of the voters in the 2010 election were Latino.

 The Pico youth activists described the past campaign for citizenship, the passage of the Senate bill S.744, and detailed its shortcomings. The current proposal’s barriers to citizenship are too high.  Some 3 million current residents will be excluded .

“We want read comprehensive immigration reform that includes all 11 million undocumented immigrants and that upholds the fundamental American values of family and fairness.”..  this basic message was delivered in both English and Spanish.

“Only a direct, inclusive and affordable path to citizenship for the friends, families, neighbors and members of our faith communities who are undocumented achieves the central goal of immigration reform and Americans of faith will accept nothing less.”

PICO of California is made up of over 400 religious congregations, schools and neighborhood groups and represents some 450,000 families.

13-Day, 200-Mile Pilgrimage to Sacramento Enters Second Day, With Marching Farm Workers United in Fight for Fair Treatment Now By Edgar Sanchez Special to the UFW  The last time Odilia Chavez was in Sacramento, she endured the pain of a stunning setback: Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for farm workers like her to join unions. That was 57 days ago. Today, Chavez, 39, of Madera, is marching back to Sacramento, along with other farm workers who want Gov. Brown to “do the right thing” by helping farm laborers. Like Chavez, at least 20 other current or retired farm workers are marching the entire Madera-to-the-State Capitol route – a distance of 200 miles over 13 days, in “The Fair Treatment For Farm Workers Now” march. Along the way, they are being joined by dozens of other farm workers or supporters for a day. When the marchers reach the State Capitol on Sept. 4, during Labor Day Weekend, thousands of people are expected to walk with them, carrying the red-and-black flag of the United Farm Workers. The pilgrims want Gov. Brown to sign the bill he rejected on June 28- SB 104, which has been reintroduced in the Legislature in modified form. Besides making it easier for farm workers to join unions, the measure would allow them to enforce safety conditions on farms and to enjoy better working conditions. The marchers also are supporting a separate bill that would allow California farm workers to receive overtime pay after eight hours.  Farm workers are currently excluded from federal overtime pay regulations. “I’m marching all 13 days because I want to be part of the group taking our proposals to the governor,” said Chavez, who is currently between jobs.  “We farm workers have the hardest job of all. “We work under the hot sun in places that a lot of times don’t provide shade,” she said.  “We are paid the minimum wage and we don’t get overtime.”