United's Sharebook 

Was farm worker death caused by negligence? Tell Cal OSHA to conduct a criminal investigation ASAP!

We need your immediate help. 54-year old Eladio Hernandez died while working under the scorching California sun. He was working for the farm labor contractor (FLC) YNT Harvesting at Hillside Orchards on May 9. The orchard is located just outside of Kettleman City in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Eladio’s story is especially horrendous as he got sick at around 1 pm and the company waited for almost 3 hours before calling for medical assistance. We need you to send a message to Cal OSHA immediately and tell them to conduct a full criminal investigation of this death and prosecute to the full extent of the law.

We first heard about this situation when we got an anonymous e-mail from a farm worker. It took time to follow up because workers were afraid. After a week of investigation this is what we learned.

According to workers, on the afternoon of May 9th at about 1pm, Eladio Hernandez complained about being sick, but was ignored by his foreman and told to get back to work. As Eladio started to climb up the ladder to continue picking peaches, he fell. He was told to go and sit under a tree. The foreman went over and yelled at him, "Get it up. Don’t be lazy, you son of a bitch" and told Eladio that he was faking. At around 3pm several workers told the foreman that he needed to do something about Eladio. That he was not getting better. At around 3:30 the foreman Manuel Gomez took Eladio and dropped him off near the sorting facility where workers were sorting the fruit that the harvesting crews were picking. He just left him there and went back to his crew.

Eladio walked over to the workers. He looked visibly sick. His lips were white, parched and dry and he had had blue and purple markings around his eyes. Several workers went up to him and asked him if he was okay. He said no, he felt really sick. Workers attempted to fan him with cardboard to give him fresh air and wiped water on his mouth. Eladio started to shake and have convulsions. Co-worker Rodrigio Gonzalez told us Eladio told them "I don’t want to die."

The workers got scared and someone finally called 911. Eladio lost consciousness while waiting for the ambulance and sorter Alma Andrete told us a co-worker gave him CPR and revived him twice. When the ambulance got there at approximately 4:20 they continued to try to revive him again, but it was too late.

Worker Rodrigio Gonzalez told us “I thought his life could have been saved, but nobody did anything and just left him there waiting to die.” Sorter Alma Andrete added, “I could not believe that all of the upper management were just letting this worker die in front of us”.

We need your help to make sure the people responsible for this shocking death are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Please e-mail the responsible agency, Cal-OSHA and demand they take immediate action.

Send your e-mail to help frozen-out farm workers get relief

The news is full of stories about the freeze and how California's multimillion dollar citrus crop is being hit hard. The harsh January freeze that ravaged California citrus also damaged strawberries, avocados and possibly other crops. It could also ravage the lives of an estimated 20,000 farm workers and their families in citrus alone. While growers are assessing the situation, the United Farm Workers is already hearing from citrus workers who are out of work. Workers have told us they think it will be almost a total loss.

News reports talk about the negative effects of this disaster on growers. However, growers can apply for relief under emergency declarations and many have insurance to cover some of their losses. There is little or no aid for the farm workers who pick the crops.

Please help the UFW fight for these farm workers. Contact California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein. Thank the governor for calling a state of emergency and ask Sen. Feinstein to work to get the federal government to declare a national emergency, as she did after the 1998-1999 freeze. Ask them to make sure emergency assistance provides unemployment insurance; rent or mortgage assistance; utilities assistance; and organized food distribution to farm workers and their stricken families. When the assistance comes in, the UFW will be there to get it to all those who need it--just as we did back after the last freeze.

http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/freeze11707

Visit the UFW's "Freeze page" to see the latest news clips and press releases at www.ufw.org/freeze

Tell Congress to raise the minimum wage.

Vote is TODAY!

The American people spoke loud and clear last Election Day.  Thanks to your voice, we have a new Congress. Now, please tell our new Congress--after 10 long years it is time to raise the minimum wage.

http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/minwage1907

Tell Congress it's time to get farm worker input on e-coli outbreaks

http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/ecoli

Krug-Mondavi boycott petition update:

Help us reach 15,000 signatures!

The "Boycott C.K. Mondavi & Charles Krug Wines" online petition campaign is really moving--more than 10,000 people have already signed the petition.

Besides online petition, the workers are also getting petition signatures at vigils at the winery and store actions.

Please help the workers surpass their current 15,000 signature goal when they turn in the petitions on November 21 (2 days before Thanksgiving).

Tell everyone you know to sign the online petition TODAY! 

Please forward this message to all your friends!

To sign the petition go to:
http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/krugpetition?source=c2n

Viva the UFW!  Viva Cesar Chavez!

Sign the Boycott C.K. Mondavi and Charles Krug Wines online petition
Please help workers reach their goal of 15,000 signatures by Nov. 21!

Fired Charles Krug-Mondavi workers are calling for a nationwide boycott of all Charles Krug and C.K. Mondavi wine labels. The contract between the United Farm Workers and Charles Krug-Mondavi expired and the company has refused to return to the bargaining table to re-negotiate an agreement.
 
A delegation of fired Krug Mondavi farm workers will turn in a hard copy of these Krug-Mondavi boycott petitions on Tuesday, November 21--right before Thanksgiving.  More than 10,000 people have already signed the petition, but time is running out .  Please help farm workers reach their goal of 15,000 signatures.

In July of this year, all vineyard workers from the Krug-Mondavi winery were fired just after the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board told the winery it was filing a formal complaint against it. The ALRB complaint alleges Krug-Mondavi has no right to refuse to bargain with its vineyard workers over renewing their United Farm Workers contract.

Krug-Mondavi doesn't care about its employees and doesn't seem to be worried about what the law says, either. It had no legal or moral right to fire these workers—many of whom had worked for the company for decades. Now, workers with children and families to support are unjustly out of a job.

Please help the workers get their jobs back. Join the UFW’s nationwide boycott of all Charles Krug and C.K. Mondavi wine labels.