From: The Farmworker Justice Fund
FARMWORKER ADVOCATES ISSUE CALL TO ACTION
ACTIVITIES WILL TELL CONGRESS TO PASS AGJOBS BY APRIL
On February 13, 2004, in a national conference call with farmworker and Hispanic organizations, United Farm Workers
President Arturo Rodriguez and Farm Labor Organizing Committee President Baldemar Velasquez, issued a national
call to action to help persuade Congress to enact the AgJOBS farmworker immigration legislation.
A National Week of Action in Washington, D.C. is scheduled for the week of March 22, 2004. During that week, farmworker
supporters will meet with members of Congress and their staffs to educate them about the AgJOBS legislation and request
prompt action. A meeting place will be set up to hold an advocacy training session on Tuesday, March 23. Additional
information will be distributed shortly.
The AgJOBS legislation would enable many undocumented farmworkers in the United States to gain a temporary immigration
status leading to permanent immigration status and citizenship. It would also revise the H-2A agricultural guestworker program.
The name of the proposal is the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits and Security Act of 2003 or "AgJOBS." The chief
sponsors are Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D.-Mass.), Rep. Chris Cannon (R.-Utah) and
Rep. Howard Berman(D.-Calif.)
The bill numbers are S.1645 and H.R. 3142. It has 51 cosponsors in the Senate, including 26 Republican Senators, and
88 cosponsors in the House. The legislation is the product of years of conflict and negotiations by farmworker representatives,
agricultural employers and members of Congress.
Events leading up to the National Week of Action: Please Help Us
*** March 5-20: Fax letters and Email letters to Congress
You may email your members of Congress by visiting the United Farm Workers' website, www.ufw.org and using the
union's automatic email system. You may also take action yourself. Attached is a model letter to use to urge members
of Congress to cosponsor AgJOBS, help bring it to a vote and pass it. Attached is a list of Senators' email addresses
and fax numbers. Also attached is a list of key House members with their fax numbers and email addresses. Please
email and fax to these Members and to your own House member. If your House member is not on this list, you may
obtain contact information for your House member by (1) calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and
asking to be connected to that Representative's office, or
(2) going to www.house.gov, where you may obtain contact information for every Representative
(you may type in your zip code if you do not know your Representative's name). You may send it to the D.C. or local office.
*** March 10, 2004: Participate in Call-in Day - Individuals will call their members of Congress (two Senators and
one Representative) and other key members to urge them to pass AgJOBS. You may make phone calls by calling the
Capitol Switchboard phone number, 202-224-3121, and ask to be connected to the appropriate office. You may wish
to say, "I am a constituent. I live in [your State]. I would like to speak with the staff person who is responsible for the
AgJOBS farmworker immigration legislation." If the person is not available, you may speak with anyone in the office
or leave a voice mail message. The key points are in the model letter which is attached. The two main action items are
(1) please become a cosponsor of the legislation, and (2) please help us pass this legislation by April. You may see if
your Member of Congress already is a cosponsor by looking at the attached list of cosponsors. If your Senator or Representative
is already a cosponsor, call anyway to thank the Senator or Representative for being a cosponsor, and ask them to work hard to
pass this legislation by April.
Visit members of Congress when they are home for Congressional Recess - The Senate will be on recess during
the week of March 15. Please make appointments to meet with your Senator and his/her staff members.
*** NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Tuesday, March 23
8:30 am - Noon: Advocacy Training (location to be announced
later)
Noon - 5 pm Meetings on the Hill
Wednesday, March 24:
Time: TBA Press Conference with Congressional sponsors, Latino and
religious leaders, growers and farmworker advocates
All Day Meetings on the Hill
Thursday, March 25
Meetings on the Hill
We will have contact people who will collect information on the results of your visits..
If you would like to be on the e-mail list for these events, please send an email to agjobs@fwjustice.org, and the
Farmworker Justice Fund will send you information.
Thank you.
PLEASE PLAN YOUR TRIP NOW FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 22. Please let us know if
you will be coming. Send us an email at agjobs@fwjustice.org, or call
Ms.Lorna N. Baez at the Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc., 202-783-2628, ext. 211.
Bruce Goldstein
Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc.
1010 Vermont Ave., NW, Ste. 915
Washington, D.C. 20005
202-783-2628 fax: 783-2561
Twenty-three years of effective farmworker advocacy
Irene B. Bueno
Nueva Vista Group LLC
1801 K Street, NW 1000L
Washington, DC 20006
202.530.0175
Fax 202.530.4849