AMERICAN LABOUR:

SEND YOUR CONDOLENCES TO MARIA'S FAMILY:

Molly has previously reported on the death of 17 year old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, a farmworker who recently died of heat stroke in the fields of California. The United Farm Workers of the USA have campaigned on this matter so that her death will not be in vain, so that others will not have to die in the same way. The UFW are also asking sympathetic members of the public to sign an online condolence card addressed to Maria's mother and other members of her family. Show them just how many people care about what happened to their loved one.

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Add your name to the online condolence card for the family of Maria Isabel, 17-year old heat victim.

Tell Maria’s mother, Jovita, that you care.

We told you about the tragic death of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez who died due to heat stroke while laboring in a Stockton area vineyard.

Hundreds responded by donating to help fund the pilgrimage the UFW held in honor of Maria Isabel and the 10 other California farm workers who have died due to heat exhaustion over the past 4 years. Almost 3,000 supporters sent Maria’s family beautiful personal notes of condolence which we’ve shared with her grieving mother, Jovita, and the rest of her family.

To date no one from the companies involved has had the decency to express condolences to Maria's family--not the farm labor contractor, not the company who owns the field where Maria labored, nor the wine distributor. There have been no letters, no one showed up at the funeral--nothing. The only reaction they had was to try to shift part of the blame of Maria’s death onto her fiancé, Florentino.

We want to let Maria’s family know that people from all over North America care about this tragedy—that people from all walks of life and of all backgrounds recognize the value of Maria’s life and death. Tell the family that you share the sorrow of Maria’s death and pledge to do what you can, so other farm worker families do not have to endure the same agony.

It is very easy to participate. We have put together a simple sign-on condolence letter, in English and Spanish that we will share with Jovita and the rest of Maria’s family. Sign the card by adding your name and the city and state where you live.

Thank you.

English language sign on letter

http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/maria_condolence

Please share this effort with as many people as possible. It's important that Maria's story is heard and that her tragic passing helps make people aware of the sad indifference farm workers face from growers and labor contractors regarding basic safety protections required by law. Together we can help other farm workers avoid the same fate.

Carta de apoyo en español

http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/condolencia
Por favor compartan este esfuerzo con mas personas. Es importante que la historia de María sea escuchada y que su trágica muerte sea conocida. Que sepan todos la triste indiferencia que reciben los trabajadores del campo y la falta de respecto a las protecciones básicas de seguridad requeridas por la ley. Juntos podemos ayudar a otros trabajadores del campo a evitar el mismo fin.

For in depth coverage of this issue, including news clips, press statements, video, photos, etc., go to: www.ufw.org/heatregs