Daily Kos: AgJOBS reintroduced in Congress today. Show your support

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/5/14/731376/-AgJOBS-reintroduced-in-Congress-today.-Show-your-support

by ufw
Thu May 14, 2009 at 10:11:51 AM PDT

Who are America's farm workers? You don't see them in the restaurants, grocery stores or farmers' markets where you buy your food. They are part of an invisible world where the food just appears on the shelves.

Here are some facts about the people who labor in our fields. They work in substandard conditions for wages far below the poverty line. Their real wages have not increased in nearly 30 years. The average farm worker makes just $13,000 per year. Many have no health care and can't take time off to seek medical care for themselves or their families. They often live in decrepit housing that you wouldn't even let your dog live in. Unsafe working conditions and injuries on the job are common occurrences. Many employers use the threat of deportation to ensure workers’ silence.

There's a bipartisan immigration bill before Congress that could drastically improve the lives of these men and women who pick our country's food. It's called AgJOBS--The Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act (S. 1038, Feinstein).

Show your support at: http://www.ufwaction.org/...

* ufw's diary :: ::
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AgJOBS represents a critical opportunity for farm workers and their employers to finally address this crisis. It's a compromise that will provide America with a stable farm labor force, help ensure that farm workers are treated fairly, and finally give the men and women who pick our food the opportunity to come out of the shadows and earn legal status and fair wages in safe conditions.

As we discuss immigration over lunch or watch the news during dinner, we should think about those whose hard work put food on our table. America’s farm workers are among the most vulnerable people in our nation. They can't wait another year.

Please contact your Congress Members and tell them to support AgJOBS. Go to: http://www.ufwaction.org/...

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