AMERICAN LABOUR:

HELP CANCEL BUSH'S ANTI-LABOUR LEGACY:

The following appeal is from the American United Farm Workers, and it concerns new "H2A" regulations that came into effect in the dying days of the Bush presidency. These regulations reduce the amount of protection, already far too little, that workers in the agricultural sector "enjoy". Here's the appeal and what you can do.

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Bush's devastating new H2A regs still in effect. Tell Congress to override now:
Change has started. Upon taking office President Obama immediately stayed any pending or new 11th hour regulations that the Bush administration tried to push through.

However, this does not include the devastating new H2A regulations we wrote to you about. These regulations were not included as they already went into effect on Saturday and the only way they can be stopped through a congressional override that President Obama can then sign into law.

We need your help. These Bush administration H2A regulations gut existing protections for both domestic and foreign farm workers. They make it easier for growers to slash the pay of domestic farm workers and hire imported foreign laborers instead of U.S. field workers. They weaken government protections in an industry known for violating the minimum wage, housing requirements and other rules.

The new Obama Administration is facing a mountain of problems left by the outgoing administration. All of them are important. And all require action.

We need your help to ensure that farm workers do not get buried under the pile of crises. With a vote in Congress and a stroke of a pen, the new administration can reverse the terrible changes the Bush Administration wrote into effect. Please act now and e-mail your Congress members today and ask them to take immediate action.

If you want more background information or for the latest updates regarding the Bush Administration H2A regulations please click here.

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THE LETTER:

Please click THIS LINK to send the following letter to the US Congress.

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I'm excited that change has started and one of President Obama's first acts was to postpone any pending or new 11th hour regulations that the Bush administration tried to push through.

However, this does not include the devastating new Bush H2A regulations that went into effect Saturday. These regulations were not included as they already went into effect and the only way they can be stopped through a congressional override that President Obama can then sign into law.

These regulations would leave a devastating Bush legacy for farm workers by gutting existing protections for both domestic and foreign farm workers. They make it easier for growers to slash the pay of domestic farm workers and hire imported foreign laborers instead of U.S. field workers. They weaken government protections in an industry known for violating the minimum wage, housing requirements and other rules.

In the spirit of this change I beg for your immediate help.

The new Obama Administration is facing a mountain of problems left by the outgoing administration. All of them are important. And all require action.

We need your help to ensure that farm workers do not get buried under the pile of crises. Please take immediate action to override these terrible Bush Administration regulations.