AMERICAN LABOUR:

THE TERMINATOR HASN'T COME TO END THIS SITUATION:

The following is an appeal from the United Farm Workers about a continuing situation in Conan's Kingdom of California. Read it and see how the families of farm workers in that State are put at risk by the continued failure of the state government to act. Sign the petition demanding clean water for farm worker families.

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Farm worker families put at risk while Governor Schwarzenegger's bureaucrats ignore the situation:
Back in early September we told you about the approximately 200 farm workers and their families who live in government housing in Los Banos CA, who don’t have access to safe drinking water. Their current water supply is contaminated with arsenic, copper and radionucleotides.

The Department of Fish and Game has a pipeline that could immediately provide safe water to these families, but they refuse to allow these families to use it.

More than 5,000 activists like you responded by contacting these bureaucrats, telling them to allow the community to connect to the city water supply. On Sept 11, Fish and Game responded they would commit to immediately start making the connection. However, nothing has happened.

Fish and Game is again inventing political roadblocks to stall the process.

These families continue to be put at risk by having no alternative but to use the contaminated water. Families do get a ration of bottled water. However, the amount is not enough to have clean water for household chores and practice good hygiene.

This toxic situation has to end. The migrant housing center is in the process of closing for the season, marking three years that the health of these farm worker families has been ignored by Gov. Schwarzenegger’s administration.

Sign the online petition today and tell the Governor that we won’t stand for this anymore. The Governor needs to tell his Department of Fish and Game to be a good neighbor and stop forcing kids and their families to use contaminated water. Ask him to assure the public and the farm workers that there will finally be safe water for the residents when this migrant camp opens for the season again in April 2009. Worker representatives will hand in this petition to the Governor’s office on December 1, right after the Thanksgiving holidays.

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Please go to THIS LINK to sign the following petition.

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The Petition
Send this petition to:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
cc: Department of Fish and Game
Governor,

It's time for action.

Two hundred farm workers and their families who live in government housing in Los Banos don't have access to safe drinking water. Your administration's Department of Fish and Game has a pipeline that could immediately provide safe water to these families, but they refuse to allow these families to use it.

Fish and Game has promised to take action on this situation. However, for the past three years nothing has happened, and families continue to be put at risk as they have no alternative but to use the contaminated water with its unacceptable amounts of arsenic, copper and radionuclide. The migrant housing center is in the process of closing for the season, marking three years that the health of these farm worker families has been ignored by your administration. .

The residents of the Rafael L. Silva Migrant Family Housing Center in Los Banos, the Housing Authority, and Merced County have been acting on good faith for the last three years. They have taken numerous measures to appease Fish and Game's concerns. They were told their efforts would result in safe drinking water for the residents of the Los Banos Migrant Camp.

However, for every step advocates took in the direction of solving the problem, the Department of Fish and Game took a step backwards and found another stumbling block.

Drinking bottled water only solves half the problem--given that arsenic, copper, and radionucleotides are actually absorbed into the skin when bathing. Children accidentally drink the water when bathing and at times drink the water when they are thirsty.

It is crucial that the residents have access to safe drinking water. In fact, it's a human right.

We the undersigned call upon you to make your Department of Fish and Game quit putting up political roadblocks and allow the Los Banos Migrant Camp to connect to their existing water line that receives City of Los Banos water.

Please get back to me and assure me that there will finally be safe water for the residents when this migrant camp opens for the season again in April 2009.

AMERICAN LABOUR:

THE GUBERNATOR STRIKES-FARM LABOUR BILL TERMINATED:

The following news item is from the American United Farm Workers. Despite a torrid summer in which six farm workers died in California of heat stroke the governor of that state, Arnold Schwarzenegger, vetoed a bill that would have reformed the union representation elections and given farm workers the tools they need to ensure decent working conditions. The Governor, in his veto, expressed confidence that the state's labour standards were being enforced, but the facts say otherwise. See the story below.

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Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoes AB 2386, secret ballot election reform:
We need to share some very disappointing news with you and then ask you to e-mail Gov. Schwarzenegger and let him know how you feel. Last week, the Governor vetoed AB 2386, a vital bill to reform secret ballot elections for farm workers. With this single stroke of his pen, the governor denied farm workers the tool they need to protect themselves. While we are disappointed with the Governor's veto, sadly we are not surprised.

When the governor vetoed a bill with similar goals last year, his veto message said:

"I am directing my Labor and Workforce Development Agency to work with the proponents of this bill to ensure that all labor laws and regulations are being vigorously enforced, and to make it absolutely clear to all concerned that my veto is premised on an expectation that agricultural workers receive the full protections of the law."

Tragically this has not happened. During the black summer of 2008, as many as six farm workers died due to heat-related causes.

Governor Schwarzenegger's enforcement has not saved lives. And his administration has not "rigorously enforced" the law. In May of this year, 17-year old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez died of heat illness, working for Merced Farm Labor. The Associated Press reported that the state ignored collecting the fine on Merced Farm Labor for not complying with heat regulations back in 2006. Worse, the state also did not perform follow-up inspections.

Consequently, young Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez died while working at a company that provided no shade, did not have adequate water, and had no emergency plan in place. All due to the same type of negligence Cal-OSHA had fined the same company for in 2006. After Maria Isabel's death, the Governor boasted that enforcement was at its highest level. Yet sadly, the lives of five more farm workers were lost this past summer.

In last week's veto message, the Governor says he can enforce the laws. But his words ring hollow. The support of poor farm workers means so much less to him than the support of big money agricultural interests. We also know that had it not been for the Governor's fundraising agenda, or had we been a rich organization the Governor may have been willing to sign a bill for farm workers.
Please e-mail the Governor today!

http://www.ufwaction.org/ct/EpzuCuF19PG_/takeaction

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THE LETTER:

Please click on one of links above to send the following letter to Governor Schwarzenegger:

You're no different than Gov. Pete Wilson when it comes to Latinos. I'm very disappointed in you.

After the death of 17-year old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez you said, "Maria's death should have been prevented, and all Californians must do everything in their power to ensure no other worker suffers the same fate." You promised to "work together in California to prevent this from happening to anyone else."

Instead you vetoed the very bill that could give farm workers a voice to protect themselves.

Just like when you vetoed a bill with similar goals last year, you said you would step up regulatory enforcement.

However, since you made your original promise last year, as many as six farm workers died due to heat-related causes during the black summer of 2008.

Your enforcement has not saved lives. And your administration has not "rigorously enforced" the law. In May of this year, 17-year old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez died of heat illness, working for Merced Farm Labor. The Associated Press reported that the state ignored collecting the fine on Merced Farm Labor for not complying with heat regulations back in 2006. Worse, the state also did not perform follow-up inspections.

Consequently, young Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez died while working at a company that provided no shade, did not have adequate water, and had no emergency plan in place. All due to the same type of negligence Cal-OSHA had fined the same company for in 2006. After Maria Isabel's death, you boasted that enforcement was at its highest level. Yet sadly, the lives of five more farm workers were lost this past summer.

Your words ring hollow. The support of poor farm workers means so much less to you than the support of big money agricultural interests. I believe if had it not been for your fundraising agenda, or if the UFW was a rich organization you may have been willing to sign a bill for farm workers instead of again putting their lives in jeopardy.

I'm disappointed in you. I expected better.