The Spiritus Farmworker Justice Committee invites you to MARCH WITH US IN OUR TENTH AND VERY SPECIAL ROCHESTER LABOR DAY PARADE
Monday, September 2, 2019, arrive 10 a.m.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
ATTENTION MARCHERS IN THE LABOR DAY PARADE on September 2! There’s been a MAJOR CHANGE. We will meet and line up on Lawrence St. located off East Ave. between Alexander St. and N. Union St. We are pleased to announce that special recognition is being given to farmworkers this year to celebrate passage of the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act which was signed into law in July after 22 years of advocacy. The Rochester Labor Council (parade organizers) has requested that we march behind the VIP’s at the start of the parade. Because of this recognition, we are lining up at this new location on Lawrence St.
If you can, please wear a red or white top and red and white bandana and bring a sign congratulating farmworkers and/or Allies and New York State as an individual or group (i.e., representing yourself or your organization). If you can decorate your sign with colorful streamers or balloons to help create a festive and celebratory ambience, that would be great! We want to be a celebration of many colors. In the beauty of many colors, we see the many faces of Christ! Other things you might bring: Water, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses.
Please arrive at 10 am. We march at 11 am. Since we’re the first big group to march, we ask that people be prompt. We’d also like to have group pictures taken. We’re hoping to have a large representation to put the Farm Bureau on notice that farmworkers and allies will be monitoring implementation and enforcement.
QUESTIONS ?: Contact Marilu Aguilar at 880-2847 or email at maguilar9855@yahoo.com
Oh happy day!
History made june 19, 2019 with passage of the farmworker fair labor practices act
justice, respect and dignity for New york state farmworkers at last
From the Spiritus Farmworker Justice Committee
Many thanks to the Spiritus Christi community for their dedicated support of the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act and their actions in support of its passage over the last 16 years! ♥ Special thanks to Fr. Jim Callan for his unwavering support of our efforts from the very beginning in so many different ways… from donating for bandanas and paying the parade fee to marching every year in Rochester’s annual Labor Day Parade with farmworkers and supporters.
CLICK HERE to Read Governor Cuomo’s Statement
CLICK HERE to Read Article by DAILY NEWS
A MESSAGE OF THANKS
from the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign
A program of Rural & Migrant Ministry
REV. RICHARD WITT, Executive Director, Rural & Migrant Ministry
Dear Partners,
Well, the thinkable has happened: The New York State Assembly and the Senate have both passed the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act. Now we wait for the Governor to sign it, which he has pledged to do.
I can remember a farmworker speaking to me back in 1991, upon learning that other New Yorkers had basic rights that he didn’t, “Would you add your voice to ours so that we can be heard?” I asked him what they wanted. He replied: “Our dignity.”
Rural & Migrant Ministry, Inc. has been honored to add our voice to the voices of New York State’s farmworkers throughout these years. The passage of the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act affirms the dignity and humanity of farmworkers, and indeed, the humanity of all New Yorkers.
It has been a long journey. One could say that it has been over twenty-five years. One could say it has been a journey of eighty years – going back to the establishment of the legislative exclusions rooted in Jim Crow era racism, when farmworkers were excluded from equality, because of the color of their skin. One could say it actually has been a journey of close to four- hundred years, as the founding of our country was rooted in an agricultural system dependent upon exploitation and enslaved labor.
We have changed the path of history, and we are now on the road to equality.
We applaud the courage of the countless farmworkers who have marched hundreds of miles throughout the decades, made numerous legislative pleas, stood silently in vigil outside of the Capitol, and engaged in so many rallies and protests. Some lost their jobs, some were threatened and abused, yet they persevered in their quest for justice.
We have been heartened by the presence of thousands of allies from the faith, labor, activist and academic communities – from all corners of the State, who acknowledged our relationship with the farmworkers, as we eat the food they harvest, and benefit economically from their labor. The power of the movement was strengthened by the presence of the allies standing and marching alongside of the farmworkers – speaking truth to power.
As we faced systemic and historical oppression, it often felt as if we were in the desert with Moses, wandering for years, trivialized, ignored. It is most difficult within our society to separate out the personal from the systemic, and so often the conversation became one of the plight of individual farmers, bolstered by a powerful Agricultural lobby interested in preserving a status quo. And so, the workers and the Campaign remained adrift in the desert. However, there were multitudes of strong-minded people who kept us going forward, living in hope.
We applaud in great awe the staff of Rural & Migrant Ministry, both current and former. Spread out across the State, often working late into the night and weekends, traveling hundreds of miles down dirt roads in order to ensure partnership and solidarity with the workers. We also are grateful to the Board of RMM, for their unwavering support of this movement. It is not easy to run a non-profit organization in the face of injustices, but they did it creatively and effectively.
It was a shared journey, and Rural & Migrant Ministry was honored to have been asked, all those years ago, to coordinate this Justice for Farmworkers Campaign. We are also honored to have shared this journey through the years with Centro Independiente de Trabajadores Agricolas, Worker Justice Center of New York, The New York State AFL-CIO, The Episcopal Diocese of New York, United Food & Commercial Workers Union, the New York State United Teachers, the Hispanic Federation, the Workers Center of Central New York, the New York Civil Liberties Union, the New York State Catholic Conference, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, the PathStone Corporation, and so many more.
We have been inspired by Richard Winsten, Esq. our lead attorney and advocate who ensured that the voice of farmworkers would constantly be heard within Albany; and our colleague Jose Chapa, who thanks to the support of UFCW 888, has coordinated this Campaign for the past three years.
The passage of the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act happened because of the tireless leadership of a noble legislator, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, and her remarkable staff. Her willingness to be a champion for marginalized people, who live far away from her New York City district, was a testament to her commitment to a just New York State. She was relentless in her determination for equality, as year after year she would bring the Bill to the Assembly. She never gave up. We give thanks to Assemblywoman Nolan, Assemblyman Crespo, Chair of the Assembly Labor Committee, and to Speaker Heastie for their passage of the Bill.
The Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act was finally able to gain passage in the Senate, because of the passionate and creative leadership of Senator Jessica Ramos, and her determined staff. Senator Ramos traveled across the State meeting with countless farmworkers and farmers, and was able to build upon those relationships to craft a Bill that would pass in the Senate. We are thankful to Senator Ramos, and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, for their commitment to remember and honor the men, women and children who harvest our crops.
We look forward to Governor Cuomo signing the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act. The Governor has stated his intention to sign this legislation. We are grateful for his appreciation of the farmworkers, and the need for New York to end their unjust treatment.
The Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act has many provisions that improve the lives of farmworkers. It is a pathway to equality granting them new rights, though rights long received by other New Yorkers. Most notable, and one that the farmworkers have long said is a priority, is the codifying into law a process that protects them while bargaining collectively. There is also for the first time, overtime pay, which will begin at sixty hours. In turn, there is a pathway to forty hours. It will be up to a Wage Board (made up of a Farm Bureau member, a member of the AFL-CIO, and an appointee of the Commissioner of Labor,) to determine whether this pathway is possible. There is a voluntary Day of Rest, though if a worker works on their day of rest, they must be paid overtime. There is now the requirement of Disability Insurance and several other provisions. In light of farmworkers being completely excluded previously, Rural & Migrant Ministry celebrates that farmworkers are no longer excluded, and we believe they are on the pathway to equality.
We have long said that our goal at Rural & Migrant Ministry, Inc. is to ensure that all are at the table. We renew our commitment to continue to stand with the farmworkers, and the farmers, as we work to implement this Bill, and to create an agricultural system in New York State that works for all.
Peace,
Richard
CELEBRATING PASSAGE OF THE FARMWORKER BILL around 9:45 pm, June 19, 2019 at the Capitol in Albany, NY.
update 6.11.19
Follow this link for the most recent update, and ways to take action: Pass the Bill Now!!
Update 6.4.19
FRIENDS AND ALL FELLOW NEW YORKERS
The Bill is in trouble. PLEASE CALL!
*** Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act S.2837/A.2750 ***
The opposition wants overtime set at over 65 hours instead of over 40 hours as is stated in the Bill. Legislators are buckling under the pressure. We can’t let that happen, not when we’re this close to passing the Bill under a democratically controlled Senate! Please call your legislators and urge them to:
- pass the bill as is with overtime pay set at over 40 hours, and not over 65 hours.
- pass the bill this legislative session.
So easy to call:
♦️State Senate switchboard: (518) 455-2800
♦️State Assembly switchboard: (518) 455-4100
♦️Governor’s office: (518) 474-8390
And you can also email your Assemblyperson at this link: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/
- Legislators should consider the kind of work farm and dairy workers do!
- Some legislators are starting to feel that “over 65 hrs” is at least some compromise. No, it’s not.
- If this is a compromise, imagine how many hours a week farmworkers are already working.
- Legislators should also consider what it might feel like to work 65 hours in one week in the fields or on a dairy farm to fully appreciate the labor of these workers.
Friends: I called my Assemblyman Harry Bronson yesterday about the Bill and the woman said they were receiving many petitions and calls on the Bill. Thank you!!!! Let’s keep it going. I just called Sen. Funke and emailed Assemblypersons Gantt and Romeo. PLEASE CALL and you can follow up with an email easily the way I did. Go to this link: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN SAY:
I’m calling to ask the (Senator) for his/her your support for the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act, Senate bill 2837 and Assembly bill 2750. I’m urging him/her to pass the Bill AS IS with overtime SET AT OVER 40 hours and that the bill be passed this legislative session.
It’s been a long journey to get the Bill this far. It’s time to get it passed to give farmworkers their due justice and the overtime they deserve.
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Or speak from your own experience and convictions but please mention overtime and that the Bill should be passed this legislative session which ends June 19!
Thank you, Marilu Aguilar on behalf of the Spiritus Farmworker Justice Committee
“The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people!” ~Cesar Chavez
“Be persistent in your work for justice.” Jesus
The Spiritus Farmworker Justice Committee (SFJC) is a group made up of parishioners committed to promoting and working for passage of the New York State Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act. This Bill will give all New York State farmworkers basic workers rights and protections under the law. The SFJC and the Spiritus faith community stand in solidarity with all New York State farmworkers and the Justice for Farmworkers legislative Campaign, a program of Rural & Migrant Ministry. Together we walk the journey of faith to achieve justice, equality, dignity and respect for all who labor in the fields and dairy farms. Our vision: To end Jim Crow racist laws that impact negatively the workplace and lives of all New York State farmworkers.
The priority and focus of the SFJC is to educate parishioners on the struggles of New York State farmworkers and the provisions of the Farmworker Bill and present opportunities for a collective action response. The Bill will give workers a day of rest, overtime pay, collective bargaining rights and more. In the 1930’s agricultural workers were excluded from New Deal reforms that expanded workers’ rights due to the color of their skin. We are grateful to Spiritus Christi members and others for the many ways they’ve supported farmworkers over the last 16 years and continue to do so. Every year they march in the Labor Day Parade to educate the Rochester community and politicians. They write letters. They send emails and postcards, and sign petitions. They make calls, attend rallies and visit legislators in Albany during the annual Albany Farmworker Day (FAD). Some have demonstrated at Wegmans and have handed out flyers at the Public Market. They update the Spiritus community with announcements at Mass and via the church bulletin. We invite you to check the links below for updates on the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act and ways you can help.
“The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people.” ~Cesar Chavez
CLICK HERE for information about the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act
CLICK HERE for contact information and ways to help
CLICK HERE for History of the Campaign
