The UFW issued the following statement from their Keene, CA headquarters where Governor Schwarzenegger attended a celebration for Cesar Chavez. Afterwards, UFW members and students shared their experiences as immigrants and urged the governor to oppose HR 4437 and support AgJobs, the Dream Act & comprehensive immigration reform.
UFW welcomes Governor to Cesar Chavez celebration,
Urges Schwarzenegger to embrace immigration reform.
The United Farm Workers issued the following statement from the union’s Keene, Calif. headquarters as Governor Schwarzenegger attended a celebration in honor of Cesar Chavez. After the event, UFW members and student activists had the chance to share their experiences as immigrants and urged the governor to oppose HR 4437 and support AgJobs, the Dream Act & comprehensive immigration reform.
40 years ago this month, Cesar Chavez and dozens of farm workers were on a 300 mile march through the Central Valley to Sacramento. Some of those workers were as young as some of you are today. At the end of that march to Sacramento, they were hoping to meet with the Governor, but he refused to meet and left town that day.
There has always been fierce resistance to our work from the agricultural industry and others, which has never accepted the rights of farm workers to organize. The Governor at that time was scared of the agricultural industry and the beginning of the civil rights movement.Still, during that march farm workers won one of the first union contracts for farm workers. They also were building much more than a union; they began a Movement for farm workers that impacted millions of others.
I want to thank the students who have joined our Movement and come here today to honor Cesar’s legacy through service to others. You have decided to make this holiday not just a “day off,” but a “day on” that keeps alive Cesar’s dreams of a better future for all of our communities, and helps build a movement for social justice.
You are witnessing history today, because this Governor has decided to come visit us here at our headquarters and Cesar’s gravesite, instead of us marching to Sacramento.
We have differing Philosophies, but we have found Common Ground in advancing the cause of justice for farm workers
While we disagreed on:
- Workers Compensation, the minimum wage, and other pieces of legislation,
we have found common ground in:
- protecting farm worker communities from pesticide drift
- supporting job training for farm workers
- enforcing the Agricultural Labor Relations Act
Last year, the Governor did what 3 Governors before him had not done, sign emergency heat regulations requiring heat recovery periods, water, shade, and training for all those who work outside. Few workers know the importance of these regulations better than the workers from Giumarra Vineyards, some of whom are here with us today. They lost two of their co-workers, Asuncion Valdivia and Augustin Gudino, to the heat in less than a year.
We deeply disagree with the Governor on immigration policy. Immigration reform is another issue that is critical to the workers at Giumarra Vineyards, as it is for most farm workers and so many other workers throughout the country who have helped build and feed America.
The huge majority of farm workers are undocumented, and live in the shadows of United States society. Too many immigrants have died crossing the border, live apart from their families, and live in daily fear of their employers and the government while doing work that feeds the nation.
Some of you have participated in the massive, nonviolent demonstrations around the country to reform our immigration laws.
We look forward to finding common ground with you, Governor, on immigration reform. We hope you can join the many who have raised their voices to speak out against legislation that would make felons out of the majority of people who feed the nation who support securing America without building walls and allowing hard working immigrants who pay taxes and share our values to earn citizenship.
Cesar taught us all that we can do better. Together, we can change our own lives and make America a better place.
Si Se Puede!