Fighting Back on Heat Deaths: Farm Workers going to Sacramento

I grow tired of paparazzi, don't you, about John Edwards, Barack Obama, or worse, the Hollywood elite's whereabouts, stories of what? Instead, I'd rather be focusing on the folks who need justice and help. Here's a great post, reproduced by permission by the author, TomP, who is a workers' rights blogger in his spare time. This was posted at the Daily Kos. And this is BW Readers your opportunity to speak up in writing, here, whatever, to serve justice as you see fit. I think the workers need a voice.

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Six California farm workers have died since May from what appears to be heat related causes. The latest one was Maria de Jesus Alvarez, 63, mother of nine, who died early this month. The first one to die was 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, who died in May. Marie was about a month pregnant when she died, and likely did not ever know she was pregnant. The state fined the labor contractor $262,700 for failing to follow heat illness prevention regulations at the time Jimenez was stricken, but that won't bring her back. And the deaths have continued at an accelarated pace since then.
You can help to end this tragedy. This Monday, August 18, more than 800 farm workers from throughout California want to go to Sacramento to lobby the Legislature on a key bill that will help them help themeselves. They want the chance to tell the Governor and their elected officials to support AB 2386, "Secret Ballot Elections for Farmworkers," which has moved out of the assembly and which will be voted on that afternoon in the state senate.

How can you help..?

I have been writing for months on the deaths of farm workers in California from the heat. Six farm workers deaths are being or have been investigated because of heat-related causes since May.
This brings to 15 the number of farm workers whose death have been investigated as heat-related since Governor Schwarzenegger took office.
You can learn more details of this continuing tragedy in these diaries:

Sixth Farm Worker Dies from the Heat this Summer in California. A Call for Action.
Another Farm Worker dies. Does anyone give a damn? The Netroots Do.
United Farm Workers Calls for Manslaughter Charges Against Company in Death of 17 Year Old
How many Farmworkers must die before someone cares??
Please Tell Fallen Farm Worker's Family We Care
"How much is the life of a farm worker worth? Is it less than the life of any other human being?"

As UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez said at the funeral of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez:

How much is the life of a farm worker worth? Is it less than the life of any other human being?

The state has fined the labor contractor for whom Maria Isabel worked:

Atwater-based Merced Farm Labor, the contractor investigated in the death of Lodi teen Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez last spring, was fined $262,700 by the state [in July] for failure to follow heat illness prevention regulations at the time Jimenez was stricken.
Jimenez, a 17-year-old pregnant farm laborer, collapsed May 14 in a Farmington vineyard operated by West Coast Grape Farming and died two days later. Her death from heatstroke was ruled an occupational death by the San Joaquin County coroner.

State fines labor firm over death

In honor of Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, the march from Lodi, CA to Sacramento State Capitol, June 4, 2008:



Since then, five more farm workers have died from what appears to be heat-related causes.

August 2, 2008: Maria de Jesus Alvarez.
July 31, 2008: Jorge Herrera.
July 9, 2008: Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez.
July 9, 2008: Abdon Felix Garcia.
June 20, 2008: Jose Macrena Hernandez.

Farm worker dies in Santa Maria, California. Television news report on the death of Jose Macrena Hernandez:


These deaths make it clear the state does not have the capacity to protect farm workers. With all the budget cuts and other issues in California now, the state, even if well intentioned, simply has not been able to protect these workers. So they must protect themselves.
We can make a difference and it will not take much.

The vital legislation that Speaker Emeritus Nunez has introduced--and the workers want to go to Sacramento and lobby for--protects farm workers' right to a secret ballot election and will make it easier for farm workers to organize and enforce the laws that the state cannot enforce.

Please TAKE ACTION TODAY and ask California legislatures to support this vital bill. .
If you can't attend please make a donation to help the United Farm Workers rent 14 buses, additional vans, plus pay for food and other supplies which will cost in excess of $31,770 for the day.
There is nothing more powerful than hearing a farm worker story face-to-face, especially to lawmakers.

Doroteo Jimenez, grape worker and uncle of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez who died in May explains why she must go to Sacremento.

I want to go to Sacramento and speak to the legislators.
My niece Maria Isabel died because growers treat us like tools instead of like people. I spoke up and I was unjustly fired. This needs to change now. I don't want to see other families suffer like our family has. This bill can change farm workers' lives for the better.
Please help us.

Margarita Hernandez, grape worker knows that that there must be changes in the workplace:

The reason for me to go to Sacramento is because I want changes in the working conditions at my job and the other companies. In the place where I work, Sun Pacific, we don't have shade and the drinking water is without ice until 9 am—though they know that by that hour it is already hot.
There have been people have felt sick from the heat and the company people always ask if they feel bad because of something they ate...
I feel there is no respect for the farm worker, even though many farm workers have died. The companies don't change their treatment towards the farm workers. That is why I am going to Sacramento. I have the hope that one day, we will be treated better.

Just to rent the buses and vans needed, will cost $26,570 and that does not cover the food and other supplies needed.
The UNF hopes that internet supporters would contribute $5,510 towards this expense. This will cover the transportation costs of 140 workers at $39.36 per worker. Let's show them that Daily Kos can do it and more!
Can you make sure Doroteo, Margarita and others get seats on the bus?

When the union is strong, growers and labor contractors follow the Californai heat regualtions, and lives can be saved. This bill is key to growing the union and, literally, saving lives.

Where farm workers are protected by union contracts, the laws are honored.

And when growers know it is easier for farm workers to organize and bring in the union, employers are much more careful about obeying the law because they don’t want to give the union an advantage.
So the answer, sisters and brothers, is self-help—making it easier for farm workers to organize so the laws on the books are the laws in the fields. Then more important human beings like Maria Isabel won’t have to die.

Remarks by Arturo S. Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers of America, Honoring Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, June 4, 2008
Please help.
Please TAKE ACTION TODAY and ask California legislatures to support this vital bill.
If you can't attend please make a donation to help the United Farm Workers rent 14 buses, additional vans, plus pay for food and other supplies which will cost in excess of $31,770 for the day.

Yesterday we mourned,
Today we act,
Tomorrow we will gain justice.

Si, Se Puede!

Teamsters are Going Green

With permission, I am supplying BW readers with a fantastic diary by TomP that appeared today on the Daily Kos. It's great news...our unions are thinking green and now acting on it too.
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This is big.

Great news for all of us who seek a Blue/Green Alliance! The Teamsters today left the ANWR coalition, a group in favor of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Jim Hoffa has just announced that the Teamsters are pulling out of the coalition supporting drilling in ANWR and are shifting their support to efforts to build coalitions with green groups to create a sustainable energy economy around sources like solar, wind and geothermal.

"We are not going to drill our way out of the energy problems we are facing—not here and not in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," Hoffa told labor and environmental activists at an Oakland, Calif., summit on good jobs and clean air. "We must find a long-term approach that breaks our dependence on foreign oil by investing in the development of alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power."

Hoffa Rejects 'Drilling Our Way Out' of Energy Crisis, Demands Long-Term Policy Solutions

Jim Hoffa announced the union’s withdrawal from the ANWR coalition, citing the need to build a green economy that fosters the development of alternative energy sources and creates good union jobs—instead of lining the pockets of big oil tycoons.

"Our economy is in shambles. Gas is climbing to $5 a gallon. The dollar has collapsed. Inflation is on the rise. Americans are seeing their paychecks shrink. Their family health care is being slashed," Hoffa said. "Finding a long-term solution has a tremendous upside. It will be environmentally friendly and will serve as a much-needed boost to our sagging economy."

Hoffa also thanked labor’s partners in the environmental movement, who are currently working to reduce emissions from port trucks. He urged the strengthening of the alliance, known as the Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports, to achieve a common goal: Good jobs and clean air.

"If we are to prosper as a nation, our future lies in a green economy," he said. "But it’s up to us to help define the rules of that new green economy. A green economy means we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And it means creating good union jobs in America’s growing industries."

Hoffa Rejects 'Drilling Our Way Out' of Energy Crisis, Demands Long-Term Policy Solutions

This is the core of the Blue/Greeen alliance that will rebuild and remake a just America:

"A green economy means we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And it means creating good union jobs in America’s growing industries."

Both.

The Sierra Club praised the Teamnsters for this move.

"The Sierra Club and the environmental movement applaud your announcement and look forward to building a powerful movement together—a movement that helps workers, protects the environment, prevents global warming and rebuilds our economy with good, green jobs," said Greg Haegele, The Sierra Club’s Director of Conservation. "We are proud to stand here today, as allies and friends of the Teamsters."

Hoffa Rejects 'Drilling Our Way Out' of Energy Crisis, Demands Long-Term Policy Solutions

Hoffa and the Teamsters are joining with Al Gore and Barack Obama in working to build a Green economy and all realize that we cannot drill our way out of this mess. We need alternative energy.

Barack Obama last week:

"For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat. I strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels, and those are the investments I will make as President. It’s a strategy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced, and one that will leave our children a world that is cleaner and safer."

Gore: "end our reliance on carbon-based fuels"

Al Gore laast week:

We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that's got to change.

But if we grab hold of that common thread and pull it hard, all of these complex problems begin to unravel and we will find that we're holding the answer to all of them right in our hand.

The answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels.

In my search for genuinely effective answers to the climate crisis, I have held a series of "solutions summits" with engineers, scientists, and CEOs. In those discussions, one thing has become abundantly clear: when you connect the dots, it turns out that the real solutions to the climate crisis are the very same measures needed to renew our economy and escape the trap of ever-rising energy prices. Moreover, they are also the very same solutions we need to guarantee our national security without having to go to war in the Persian Gulf.

What if we could use fuels that are not expensive, don't cause pollution and are abundantly available right here at home?

Gore: "end our reliance on carbon-based fuels"

Jim Hoffa today:

"We are not going to drill our way out of the energy problems we are facing—not here and not in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," Hoffa told labor and environmental activists at an Oakland, Calif., summit on good jobs and clean air. "We must find a long-term approach that breaks our dependence on foreign oil by investing in the development of alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power."

Working together with labor, environmentalists and Democratic candidates, we can change America, solve our energy crisis, rebuild a greeen economy with good union jobs, and address global warming.

Jim Hoffa at Yearly Kos in 2007.

(personal note: TomP and I sat together as we heard Hoffa's talk at YearlyKos 2007; John Edwards had just spoken to him about a union agenda)

We need to work with the Teanmsters and other unions to rebuild a Green America. Thank you Mr. Hoffa and all Teamsters! Solidarity!

Update. From Change to Win in the comments. Grist has a good write up on this:

For years, the Teamsters have supported opening the Arctic Refuge and other protected areas to oil drilling; they ran ads bashing John Kerry on it in 2004. So it is a Very Big Deal that the Teamsters have just come out and rejected drilling as a solution to the energy crisis.

At an event in Oakland, Calif., Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said that drilling won't do anything to help; he announced that the Teamsters are withdrawing from the coalition pushing for Arctic drilling; and he stressed that pushing for "alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power" will revitalize the economy and create jobs.

It looks like reality is finally starting to bite in American politics.

UPDATE: Kate called up Teamsters spokeswoman Leigh Strope for more on the move.

"Americans are suffering in this difficult economy," said Strope. "[President Hoffa] really realized, like a lot of people have, that there needs to be a long-term energy solution. Like he said, we can't drill our way out of this problem ... We need a comprehensive energy policy to deal with this crisis."

"It's important to our members," Strope continued. "There's an opportunity to really explore the whole issue of green jobs, and that would obviously benefit Teamsters and all Americans."

grist: Blockbuster Teamsters announcement rejects oil drilling as an energy solution

Go Teamsters! Here's a song for them and Change to Win:


Eighteen Wheels and A Dozen Roses by Kathy Mattea

John Edwards will be our First Green President

Note BW readers: this is Part 2 of TomP's interview of Brent Blackwelder, again redistributed by the blogger's permission. Crossposted at Blue New Hampshire

President Bush plans to play the part of the hero by visiting California, now ravaged by fire. But on this issue he's the villain -- it's two years after Hurricane Katrina and the only progress he's made is actually acknowledging that global warming exists. If we're going to avoid tragedies like this in the future, we must take the long-term view. On this point, the science is clear: global warming has already led to increased wildfire activity in the U.S., and if we don't dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the near future, the problem is going to get much worse.

Friends of the Earth

More than ever, we need a president committed to making real and deep change in how we treat the planet.

"After 7 years of George Bush – the worst, most destructive environmental president in modern history – it is definitely time for change, and that change starts by electing John Edwards as President."

This week, I interviewed Brent Blackwelder, President of Friends of the Earth and FOE Action, via email about the FoE Action endorsement of John Edwards.

FoE Action provides political muscle on legislative battles in the U.S. for its sister organization, Friends of the Earth, which is part of a network of affiliates in over 70 nations around the world. On October 14, FOE Action became the first major environmental organization to endorse a candidate for president, and they endorsed John Edwards:

"Friends of the Earth Action enthusiastically endorses John Edwards for President," said Brent Blackwelder, president of FOE Action.

Friends of the Earth Action Endorses John Edwards

FoE Action well understands that you cannot sit down at the table with the corporate polluters and their lobbyists, and then expect them to treat the planet right. As John Edwards has said, if you sit down at the table with them, they'll eat your lunch. You've got to beat them:

Q: You have been President of Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Earth Action since 1994. In that time, you have witnessed the buying of the American government by corporate power and their lobbyists. How important is John Edwards' willingness to take on these entrenched interests to you in making your endorsement?

A: This played a big part in our decision. John Edwards has taken a stand against the lobbyists and special interests that have so driven environmental policies in the Bush Administration. Only when candidates refuse to take money from the lobbyists for big oil and big coal can they pursue the kind of environmental polices that protect health and safety of our families. Of all the leading candidates running, we believe John Edwards has the greatest potential to stand up to corporate special interests in the White House.

We also talked about John Edwards' plan to address global warming:

Q: At present, part of the costs of global warming are externalized on all of us. Does Edwards favor measures to auction polluter permits to, at least in part, ensure that part of the cost of global warming goes back to where it belongs – on the actual product?

A: Yes, polluter permits are an important component of Edwards' plan. He would require polluters to pay for their global warming pollution, a portion of which will raise $10 billion a year for a New Energy Economy Fund to jumpstart clean, renewable, and efficient energy technologies and create 1 million jobs.

Q: What is Edwards' position on the annual taxpayer funded subsidies that currently exist for oil companies?

A: Edwards calls for eliminating $3 billion in annual government subsidies to oil companies. He even says he is "very open to the possibility of an excess profits tax" on oil companies. We feel this is a crucial first step in getting our country back on the right track with its energy policy.

I don't know about you, but I agree with Brent Blackwelder and John Edwards about building new nuclear power plants: don't do it! This is a clear distinction between John Edwards and the other two major candidates: Clinton and Obama:

Q. Senators Clinton and Obama have joined one of the top Republicans in the race, Senator McCain of Arizona, to sponsor the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007. The measure includes more than $3.6 billion in funding and loan guarantees for the planning and construction of nuclear plants using new reactor designs. Does FOE Action oppose the use of taxpayer money to subsidize the nuclear power industry? What is your position on this bill?

A. Friends of the Earth wholeheartedly opposes the construction and development of nuclear power in the United States. Edwards is on the same page, here. He believes nuclear power is too costly, too dangerous, and too vulnerable to attack by our nation's enemies. New Hampshire, where FOE Action announced its endorsement of Edwards, has the unfortunate distinction of being home to the last-constructed nuclear power plant in the country, Seabrook Station nuclear power plant. The plant places great environmental and health risks on the areas around it, and if constructing a nuclear power was a bad idea 30 years ago, it's an even worse idea now, particularly given the new realities we face in terms of national security. Nuclear power simply isn't worth it's risks, when accidents can have environmental implications that last for generations. And John Edwards is the only candidate to unambiguously say no to nuclear power.

And what about Coal to Liquid? I'm with Edwards and FoE Action on this.

Q: What is your position on Coal to Liquid technology? One Democratic presidential candidate cosponsored a bill to provide taxpayer subsidies for this technology. Edwards opposes CtL. What does using, let alone subsidizing, CtL really mean for our environment?

A: Liquid coal is a bad idea for our country and planet. It contributes twice the amount of carbon emissions to our atmosphere that petroleum does, consuming an inordinate amount of water per unit of fuel, and requiring the expansion of ecologically and socially disastrous mining practices. Unlike Clinton and Obama, Edwards is the only leading candidate to oppose coal-to-liquid technology.

That's right: "Liquid coal is a bad idea for our country and planet."

We need a green president now, if we are to survive:

Q: Wouldn't it be nice to have a President that actually enforced the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and other environmental laws?

A: After 7 years of George Bush – the worst, most destructive environmental president in modern history – it is definitely time for change, and that change starts by electing John Edwards as President.

A final word from FoE Action President, Brent Blackwelder regarding what they and we can do to help elect a green president:

We plan to be especially active in New Hampshire, establishing an independent campaign and organization to carry the message about John Edwards' global warming plan and his vision for a healthy environment. There is a powerful, untapped environmental constituency out there that is up for grabs in this country and we are here to lend our voice to push that constituency toward Edwards. We believe he has the right vision and record to tap that constituency.

In New Hampshire, there are a lot of Democratic primary voters who care deeply about the quality of their environment and cite it as a top concern when choosing a nominee for president. In particular, voters in the Granite State are looking for real action to combat global warming. We plan to spend the next 3 months letting these voters know that John Edwards is the candidate best qualified and most committed to help achieve this big and bold goal.

Please visit the FoE Action website to find out how you can get involved in our campaign to elect John Edwards as president: FoE Action (www.foeaction.org)

Help FoE Action to elect our first green president: John Edwards.

Update: Radio Ad in NH by FoE. https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/foe/images/humanity.mp3

An Interview with Brent Blackwelder

Note to BW Readers: this is a diary that was posted on MyDD this morning by Tom P. BW was given permission to redistribute the interview here. BW thanks Tom P for this interview concerning why FOE endorsed John Edwards.


Last week, Friends of the Earth Action ("FOE Action") endorsed John Edwards. This week, I interviewed Brent Blackwelder, President of Friends of the Earth and of Friends of the Earth Action, about FOE Action's endorsement of John Edwards.

Part I of the interview is in this diary.

Here's a little about FOE Action for those unfamiliar with it:

Founded by David Brower in 1967, Friends of the Earth Action has established a 35-year record of not only fighting the tough battles, but winning them too. FoE Action provides extra political muscle on legislative battles here in the U.S. for to our sister organization, Friends of the Earth, which is part of a network of affiliates in over 70 nations around the world.

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FoE Action looks beyond the symptoms of environmental degredation, to the systemic causes.

FOE Action

Mr. Blackwalder is a long-time advocate for the planet and the people on it. He has worked in Washington DC for over 30 years fighting for clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet. He has testified before Congress on environmental issues more than 100 times.

Mr. Blackwelder was founder and first chairman of the board of American Rivers, our nation's leading river-saving organization. He also founded the Environmental Policy Institute, which merged with Friends of the Earth in 1989. In 1994 he became president of Friends of the Earth and FOE Action.

More on Mr. Blackwelder here: Friends of the Earth

On October 14, FOE Action became the first major environmental organization to endorse a candidate for president, and they endorsed John Edwards:

WASHINGTON, DC -- Friends of the Earth Action (FOE Action), one of the longest-standing, national environmental organizations in the country, today announced its endorsement of Senator John Edwards for President, citing his leadership on real solutions to combat global warming and his unequivocal position against dangerous and expensive nuclear power.

"Friends of the Earth Action enthusiastically endorses John Edwards for President," said Brent Blackwelder, president of FOE Action.

Friends of the Earth Action Endorses John Edwards

Mr. Blackwelder answered 10 questions that I sent him via email. Here is Part I of the Interview. I will publish the remaining questions and answers in Part II tomorrow.

Q: What most differentiates John Edwards from the other Democratic presidential candidates with respect to environmental issues?

A: Of the leading Democratic candidates for president, John Edwards is most committed, and best prepared, to halt global warming and promote a healthy, livable planet for our families and our future. Friends of the Earth Action feels John Edwards has set the paces among all of the Democratic candidates by putting forth a plan that provides real action to combat global warming.

We encourage people to visit our web site, www.foeaction.org . to learn more about why we endorsed Edwards and facts about his environmental record.

Q: John Edwards has proposed a global warming plan that will reduce greenhouse pollution by 20 percent by 2020, and reduce it by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. What in this plan do you feel will be most effective in achieving this reduction?

A: John Edwards plans to share America's clean energy technology with other nations in exchange for binding greenhouse reduction commitments. If necessary, he will insist that strong labor and environmental standards in our trade deals include commitments on climate change. This new deal will require global participation, promote shared responsibility, and let American workers and businesses compete on a level playing field. In addition, Edwards' plan will lead America to a new energy economy by investing in clean, renewable energy and creating a million new jobs.

Q: Polluters often attempt to present a false choice between environmental degradation and jobs. In fact, clean, green technologies can mean more jobs for Americans, and good paying jobs. Edwards proposes creating at least 1 million "green collar jobs" by investing in clean energy and energy efficient technologies. Can you explain the relationship of economic growth, including good paying jobs, and using clean, green technologies?

A: Edwards really gets it: green does not have to mean fewer jobs. If our nation makes serious and smart investments in clean energy technologies, such as wind, solar and geothermal, we can create good-paying jobs, expand markets for the renewable energy industry and secure our country's energy future.

Renewables are secure and viable alternatives to dirty, fossil fuels and costly and dangerous nuclear power. They can be scaled up relatively quickly, which means jobs and economic growth for states and local communities in the U.S., particularly in rural areas that have been hardest hit by economic downturns but have the space for these technologies to be constructed and brought online.

Q: What can FoE Action do to help John Edwards be nominated and then elected? I understand you plan to set up an independent campaign on Edwards' behalf in New Hampshire. How will that work? How can people inside and outside New Hampshire help you ?

A: We plan to be especially active in New Hampshire, establishing an independent campaign and organization to carry the message about John Edwards' global warming plan and his vision for a healthy environment. There is a powerful, untapped environmental constituency out there that is up for grabs in this country and we are here to lend our voice to push that constituency toward Edwards. We believe he has the right vision and record to tap that constituency.

In New Hampshire, there are a lot of Democratic primary voters who care deeply about the quality of their environment and cite it as a top concern when choosing a nominee for president. In particular, voters in the Granite State are looking for real action to combat global warming. We plan to spend the next 3 months letting these voters know that John Edwards is the candidate best qualified and most committed to help achieve this big and bold goal.

I'd like to thank Brent Blackwalder for granting me this interview and Jenna Moran for facilitating it. I will publish Part II of the interview tomorrow.

I also want to thank Mr. Blackwelder for his years of service to people and our planet in fighting corproate polluters and a corrupt government.

Please visit the FoE Action website to find out how you can get involved in our campaign to elect John Edwards as president: www.foeaction.org.

Video of Friends of the Earth endorsement in NH.
Video courtesy of Mbair.