UFW fights to ensure all hard-hit California farm
workers receive relief from devastating freeze
United Farm Workers of America President Arturo S. Rodriguez today (Jan. 17, 2006) issued the following statement from the union’s Keene, Calif. headquarters regarding the devastating impact of California’s January freeze on farm workers and their families.
The news is full of stories about the freeze and how California’s multimillion dollar citrus crop is being hit hard. The harsh January freeze that ravaged California citrus also damaged strawberries, avocados and possibly other crops. It could also ravage the lives of an estimated 20,000 farm workers and their families in citrus alone. While growers are assessing the situation, the United Farm Workers is already hearing from citrus workers who are out of work. Workers are telling us they think the crop will be almost a total loss.
Growers have access to government aid after state of emergency declarations, including loans and other forms of relief. Some growers have insurance to cover some of their losses.
But farm workers—who heavily rely on the citrus to tide themselves over during the difficult winter months—have no such relief. Indications are that citrus workers could lose three or four months of work this year. They use that income to pay rent and buy food. There are few other employment options. Farm workers and their families face genuine suffering in the weeks and months ahead.
Suffering could be even worse following this year’s freeze because more of the work force is undocumented and many workers who used to be migrant and seasonal are now permanent residents and have brought their families here because it is so dangerous and difficult for workers to cross the border.
So this time it is even more urgent to ensure all farm workers receive relief, including undocumented workers who are ineligible for unemployment insurance or other state and local programs such as energy assistance because of their immigration status.
The inability of undocumented workers to obtain unemployment and other benefits underscores the need for Congress to quickly enact the UFW-sponsored AgJobs immigration reform measure allowing undocumented farm workers here now to earn the right to stay by continuing to work in agriculture.
During the 1998-1999 citrus freeze, the UFW pushed hard to convince then-Gov. Gray Davis and the Legislature to provide emergency, extended unemployment insurance benefits for workers laid off by the cold weather. The union also helped organize truckloads of food delivered to hard-hit Central Valley families, getting unionized Southern California supermarkets to contribute. We will do the same this time and when the assistance comes, the UFW will be there to help get it to all those who need it–just as we did after the last freeze.
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