As Thanksgiving approaches, many look forward to celebrating the season of sharing with a special meal. As we sit down for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we're thankful for the bounty of fresh food we enjoy on Thanksgiving and every day of the year. Let's give thanks to the farm workers who do the labor that brings this food to our tables.

Alejandra Estrada has been working for fruit growers for 12 years. She reports that this year she has felt "way more pressure" to do more in the same amount of time. She shares that her employer ordered her to prune "60 vines every hour, when last year it was 50." After speaking out about this, she was warned those that who didn't like the job "could leave." She, her husband, and her daughter all worked at the company. They stayed because they have to pay for rent and food.

Things are different for Lourdes Cardenas who picks wine grapes under a UFW contract. "They treat me very good, for example... Our breaks are given to us on time. The water is always very fresh and the bathrooms are always very clean." Lourdes adds, "Every time the contract expires, we meet with the union negotiator and the owner to negotiate our salary and benefits... But the most important thing is that they have a lot of respect for all the women who work here.” 

This is the power of the union. It's the power of workers joining together. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, would you consider making a gift to the UFW to help continue our work to give a better life to more farm workers?

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