UFW leader, farm worker to join President Obama during visit to California’s drought-stricken Ag lands
Nation’s largest agricultural workers union urge Congress and the White House to support drought relief for farm workers, immigration reform and a halt to deportations
Fresno, CA − United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez and UFW member Gabriel Agustin will be among those attending President Barack Obama’s visit today in Fresno where he’s planning to address California’s severe drought that is affecting the richest agricultural lands in the nation.
“Farm workers are pleased to add our voice to those who support drought relief efforts for California agriculture and farm workers," said Rodriguez. On Tuesday, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, both California Democrats, introduced legislation, which in addition to aid for growers, water projects and environmental rules, includes emergency relief provisions for farm workers impacted by the drought. The House’s drought bill passed last week left out aid for farm workers.
Agustin currently works for San Joaquin Tomato, but he has worked in agriculture for the past 10 years pruning grape vines and picking tomatoes. The 37-year-old farm worker said he is glad to see that Democrats, Republicans and even the President are taking a rapid response approach to address the drought issues. But Agustin and his wife, who is also a UFW member, hope that lawmakers don’t forget about farm workers and their families. The drought will cause genuine harm to hundreds of thousands of farm workers if agricultural employers are forced to reduce the acreage they put into production this year. Farm workers are already paid disgracefully low wages. They only survive by working longer hours than other Californians.
"I would like the President and the growers to think about us, too. Just like the growers, we, the farm workers, are suffering with this drought. We need to work to survive and without water there’s no work. Farm workers work long hours in the fields for little pay or like in my wife’s and my case, we are paid by piece-rate. That means, fewer tomatoes to pick equals less money," Agustin said. A small group, including Rodriguez and Agustin, will be meeting with the president, too, to talk about how the drought is affecting those who toil in the fields.
Late last month, House Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and Congressman David Valadao held a private press event in Kern County to talk about the drought but they didn’t invite farm workers to participate.
The drought, however, is not the only crisis affecting the agriculture industry, added Rodriguez. For more than a decade the UFW has been fighting to pass immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. Last June, the Senate passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, or S. 744. The proposal called for a roadmap to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the country and included special agricultural provisions, negotiated by the UFW and major grower associations. But the legislation stalled in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives.
“Immigration reform is another crisis that needs to be addressed with the same sense of urgency so far shown by both parties on the drought issue. We are hopeful that growers and their Congressional allies will now join with farm workers in calling on President Obama and Kern County Sheriff Youngblood to bring a halt to the deportation of farm workers. Those policies hurt California agriculture and add unnecessary misery to the lives of farm workers,” Rodriguez said.
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