Taking Heat for Farmworkers
By Assemblymember Mariko Yamada During the summer of 2005, my older daughter worked for the Executive Officer…
Farm Workers Issue Call To Arm: Take Our Jobs
The debate over immigration is always high, but in the last few months, the debate has increased as Arizona has passed what some consider draconian efforts to curb what they see as a problem with illegal immigration.
From our perspective, such efforts are misplaced but born from frustration of the lack of a national immigration policy that addresses a key issue – how to allow people who wish to work in this country to do so in an efficient and reasonable manner.
Dispute with UC Lingers; Senator Calls For Mediated Settlement
CaliforniaIn July, roughly 8,500 University of California (UC) service workers went out on strike in protest of poverty wages. At this point there is no agreement between the workers and the UC Regents. Now, a mediated settlement has been presented to the UC administration. Senator Leland Yee, who joined workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME 3299) on the picket lines in July, is calling on the University to accept this new proposal.
Cal-OSHA Again Shuts Down Farm Labor Contractor Responsible for 17-Year-Old Worker’s Death
A few weeks ago, the Vanguard reported on the sad story of a 17-year-old farm worker who died of heat stroke after working for hours in the heat without adequate water, rest, or shade. (Click here to listen to our interview with Marilyn Calderon of the United Farm Workers).
On Friday, the Sacramento Bee reported on an update to the situation. The Merced Farm Labor had been allowed to reopen and send its laborers back to the fields as of June 26 after demonstrating to CAL-OSHA that it met all the requirements for heat protection for its workers. The company had been shut down because it was not requiring its employees to receive heat training.
Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Farm Worker Who Died Due to Heat Stroke
In one of the worst human rights abuses I have heard of in recent memory in this area, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed yesterday at the Merced Superior Court for the death of 17 year old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez. The lawsuit is for wrongful death, general negligence and premises liability.
Maria Isabel, a 17-year-old farm worker from Oaxaca collapsed on May 14 while working for a Merced Farm Laborer in a vineyard owned by West Coast Grape Farming outside of Stockton. Maria Isabel, who was two-months pregnant, had worked nine hours in temperatures that reached 100 degrees inside the vineyard. Her body temperature was 108.4 degrees when she was finally taken to a hospital nearly two hours after collapsing. She died on May 16.
Former Assemblyman Richman’s Attack on Public Employee Pensions
Former Republican Assemblyman Keith Richman is at it again. Richman is on the attack and attempting to…
Commentary: Labor Day 2007 Thoughts
Labor Day dates back to the 1880s and was originally founded as a means to give a…
Local Leaders and Activists Push for Health Care in Sacramento
On Thursday on the steps of the Capitol a coalition of labor unions and community organizations who…
