United Farm Workers, Ag employers mark unveiling in D.C. of comprehensive immigration reform bill and discuss key farm worker provisions
Washington, D.C. – Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers, will join a press conference, sponsored by leaders of a coalition of the nation’s largest grower associations known as the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC), today at 2:30 p.m. at the National Press Club in D.C. The press conference is to herald introduction in Washington, D.C. of historic comprehensive immigration reform legislation and highlight the agricultural provisions that the UFW negotiated with national grower organizers.
Rodriguez will explain why the section of the measure covering agriculture “represents a great victory for farm workers without whom Americans would not enjoy the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables that come to their tables every day.” The grower-farm worker agreement, crafted with help from senators of both parties and announced a few days ago, is a key piece of the comprehensive immigration bill.
Representing a broad cross-section of agricultural employers, the AWC members will emphasize why it’s important that Congress passes the jointly negotiated compromise between the UFW and the AWC to ensure America’s farmers, ranchers and growers have access to a secure and stable workforce now and in the future.
When: April 17, 2013, 2:30 p.m. EDT
Where: The National Press Club, West Room
529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor
Washington, DC 20045
Who: Arturo S. Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers of America
Chuck Conner, President & CEO, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Jerry Kozak, President & CEO, National Milk Producers Federation
Tom Nassif, President & CEO, Western Growers Association
Tom Stenzel, President & CEO, United Fresh Produce Association
Mike Stuart, President & CEO, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
Nancy Foster, President & CEO, U.S. Apple Association
About The United Farm Workers of America (UFW)
Founded in 1962 by Cesar Chavez, the United Farm Workers of America is the nation’s first successful and largest farm workers union currently active in 10 states. The UFW continues to organize in major agricultural industries across the nation. Recent years have witnessed dozens of key UFW union contract victories, among them the largest strawberry, rose, dairy and mushroom firms in the nation and among the largest vegetable and dairy farms in the nation. Many recent UFW-sponsored laws and regulations aide farm workers; in California, the first state regulation in the U.S. prevents further heat deaths of farm workers. The UFW is also pushing its historic bipartisan and broadly backed immigration reform bill.
To learn more about the UFW, please visit: www.ufw.org
About the Agriculture Workforce Coalition
The Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) brings together organizations representing the diverse needs of agricultural employers across the country. AWC serves as the unified voice of agricultural employers in the effort to ensure that America’s farmers, ranchers and growers have access to a stable and secure workforce.
To learn more about AWC, visit our website at www.agworkforcecoalition.org.
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