AMERICAN LABOUR:

YET ANOTHER DEATH IN THE FIELDS OF CALIFORNIA:

The following is a news report and an appeal from the United Farm Workers of the USA about yet another heat stroke death in the agricultural fields of California.

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Ramiro Carillo was the fourth farm worker in the last two weeks to die of heat stroke and the second this week alone!
E-mail Gov. Schwarzenegger today!
Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez, 48, father of two, died in Selma, CA on Thursday afternoon after working all day for Sun Valley Packing in Reedley thru a farm labor contractor. Ramiro had complained being sick from the heat. He was taken home by his foreman. He passed out almost as soon as he got in the house. By the time an ambulance got there he was dead on arrival. He leaves behind two children ages 13 and 16.

Ramiro's death makes two farm workers dying of heatstroke last week, four farm worker heat deaths in the last 8 weeks and the 13th farm worker heat death since CA Governor Schwarzenegger took office.

Something needs to be done immediately to prevent more needless deaths. Please help.
Click here to send a fax to California Gov. Schwarzenegger (if you live in California, a cc of your e-mail will also go to your legislators) and tell them this has to stop now.

Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez's death follows the deaths I told you about on Thursday. 42 year-old farm worker Abdon Felix Garcia, father of three, died on Wednesday after spending the morning and early afternoon working for Sunview Vineyards in Arvin. The coroner says Felix's body core temperature was measured at 108 degrees just 13 minutes before his death. 64 year-old Jose Macarena Hernandez died during a record-breaking heat wave on June 20 while harvesting butternut squash in Santa Maria on land owned by Sunrise Growers. UFW President Arturo Rodriguez attended his funeral yesterday. And then there was the heat death of 17 year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez who died while laboring in the Stockton area grape vines.
Governor Schwarzenegger came to Maria Isabel's funeral and said he would do everything possible to prevent this from happening again. Has he done everything he can? With the recent deaths of Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez, Abdon Felix Garcia and Jose Hernandez it is clear the state does not have the capacity to protect farm workers.

As California's summer sizzles we must do everything we can to insure that no more farm workers fall victim to the heat because the laws written to protect them are not enforced. Speaker Emeritus Fabian Nunez has introduced legislation which has moved out of the assembly and which is now in the state senate. It will make it easier for farm workers to organize and enforce the laws that the state cannot enforce.

Please take action immediately and click to fax California Gov. Schwarzenegger (if you live in California, a cc of your message will also be e-mailed to your legislators) and tell them something needs to be done NOW. It’s time to put a law in place that will allow farm workers to protect themselves!

Thank you for caring.Arturo S. Rodriguez

President

Please go to the link below to join this campaign and send the letter following to Governor Arnold Schwarztnegger.

http://www.ufwaction.org/ct/o7zuCuF1auHB/takeaction

THE LETTER:

I am appalled to learn that two more farm workers died of heat stroke this week. That makes four farm worker heat deaths in the last 8 weeks and the 13th farm worker heat death since you took office. How can you accept this?

In 2006 you enacted California's first permanent heat regulations. Unfortunately the laws on the books are not the laws in the fields. I'm begging you to take action so no more farm workers die.

Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez, 48, father of two, died in Selma, CA on Thursday afternoon after working all day for Sun Valley Packing in Reedley thru a farm labor contractor. Ramiro had complained being sick from the heat. He was taken home by his foreman. He passed out almost as soon as he got in the house. By the time an ambulance got there he was dead on arrival. He leaves behind two children ages 13 and 16.

Ramiro's death was the fourth farm worker heat death in the last 8 weeks and the 13th farm worker heat death since you took office.

Farm worker Abdon Felix Garcia, 42, father of three, died on Wednesday, June 9th after spending the morning and early afternoon working for Sunview Vineyards in Arvin. The coroner says Felix's body core temperature was measured at 108 degrees just 13 minutes before his death. Jose Macarena Hernandez, 64, died during a record-breaking heat wave on June 20 while harvesting butternut squash in Santa Maria on land owned by Sunrise Growers. He was buried on Friday. And then there was the heat death of 17 year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez who died while laboring in the Stockton area grape vines.

When you came to Maria Isabel's funeral you said you would do everything possible to prevent this from happening again. But it is clear with the death of Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez, Abdon Felix Garcia and Jose Hernandez--the 11th, 12th and 13th farm workers who have died since you took office--the state does not have the capacity to protect farm workers.

Unless and until we empower farm workers in the workplace, people such as the latest four victims, Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez, Abdon Felix Garcia, Jose Macarena Hernandez, Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez will continue to die unnecessarily.

Speaker Emeritus Fabian Nunez has introduced legislation which has moved out of the assembly and which is now in the state senate. It will make it easier for farm workers to organize and enforce the laws that the state cannot enforce.

As California's summer sizzles we must do everything we can to insure that no more farm workers fall victim to the heat because the laws written to protect them are not enforced. We need you to commit to signing this bill and protecting the people who labor so hard in the fields.