-Caveat Lector- >From http://www.igc.org/igc/ln/aa/99102021778/aa1.html {{<Begin>}} Tell Clinton: Veto Farmworker Replacement Bill Originally posted in IGC member conference: labr.newsline Date: October 16, 1999 Posted by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] /* Written 7:58 AM Oct 16, 1999 by [EMAIL PROTECTED] in labr.newsline */ /* ---------- "Support Veto Of Law To Replace Dome" ---------- */ Date: 10/15 2:43 PM From: JOCELYN SHERMAN, [EMAIL PROTECTED] News from the Farm Worker Movement(www.ufw.org): Tell President Clinton: veto measure to replace domestic farm workers with foreign laborers As this year's Congress winds to close, agribusiness is lobbying to let growers import foreign field laborers without making an adequate effort to recruit domestic farm workers. President Clinton must veto this latest agribusiness scheme. Growers who claim they cannot find enough workers can bring in temporary foreign workers under the existing federal H2A program. But first they must make a good-faith effort to recruit domestic workers through the state and federal labor services. An amendment by Tennessee Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell to an agricultural appropriations bill would reduce the required recruitment time to only three to eight days. That would mean many jobs now held by domestic workers would go instead to imported foreign workers. "Agribusiness' No. 1 farm labor strategy over the years has been maintaining a surplus supply of labor to depress pay and benefits, and fight unionization," stated United Farm Workers founder Cesar Chavez. Between 1942 and 1964, the infamous bracero farm labor program brought hundreds of thousands of Mexican workers to toil on U.S. farms. Bracero laborers took jobs from domestic farm workers. And both domestic and bracero farm workers suffered miserable abuse and exploitation. A December 1997 report by the General Accounting Office concluded there are no labor shortages in agriculture. Major agricultural counties across the nation frequently record double-digit unemployment, even during harvest months. The rapidly anti-union Western Growers Association (WGA) is behind the drive to bring in more foreign workers. WGA also leads agribusiness opposition to the UFW. Under an expanded H2A program, growers would deny imported farm workers the rights to organize into a union, change jobs or employers, or complain about poor treatment and working conditions without being blacklisted. CONTACT PRESIDENT CLINTON AND URGE HIM TO VETO ANY APPROPRIATIONS BILL THAT LETS GROWERS REPLACE DOMESTIC WORKERS WITH FOREIGN WORKERS. Make the following points with the President or e-mail the following letter: President Bill Clinton The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20500 Phone: 202-456-1414 Fax: 202-456-2461 E-mail: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Dear Mr. President: Protect domestic farm workers from being replaced by foreign workers by vetoing the agricultural appropriations bill containing the McConnell amendment. The provision by Tennessee Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell would reduce the time growers are required to recruit domestic workers under the federal H2A program to only three to eight days. That would mean many jobs now held by domestic workers would go instead to imported foreign workers. All the evidence says there are no labor shortages in agriculture. If growers claim they can't find enough workers, they should be required to make good-faith efforts to recruit domestic workers before importing foreign workers. Under the McConnell amendment, imported foreign workers would be denied rights guaranteed American farm workers. Sincerely, (Name and/or Organization) Also contact your U.S. Senators and Representative: Honorable ______________ U.S. Senate or House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 For more information on the Farm Worker Movement visit our web site at http://www.ufw.org and/or subscribe to the Farm Worker Movement list serve by sending an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] {{<End>}} >From http://www.igc.org/igc/ln/hl/99102021499/hl1.html {{<Begin>}} ILWU Terminates Hawaii Dock Contract Originally posted in IGC member conference: labr.newsline Date: October 18, 1999 Posted by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] /* Written 9:17 PM Oct 18, 1999 by [EMAIL PROTECTED] in labr.newsline */ /* ---------- "ILWU Terminates Hawaii Dock Contrac" ---------- */ Hawaii Dockworkers Terminating Pact HONOLULU The union representing Hawaii's dockworkers was to terminate its contract with four shipping companies Monday night, creating uncertainty for island residents almost totally dependent on ships to deliver food and other goods. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 gave notice Friday to the Hawaii Employers Council that it would terminate the current contract at 6 p.m. Monday, a move union leaders hoped would bring a sense of urgency to negotiations with four shipping companies. Thirty-one union stevedores on Maui voted unanimously Monday to authorize a strike, following the lead of 17 workers on Kauai who voted Sunday night. Still, the earliest there could be a strike would be this weekend, after votes for the islands Oahu and Hawaii are tallied. Nearly all dockworkers are on Oahu, and they are set to vote on Friday night. The union represents about 500 workers. A dock strike could be very damaging to Hawaii, which depends on ships to deliver 90 percent of it goods. The current contract expired June 30, but was extended by both sides and could be terminated with 72 hours notice. The ILWU chose to terminate the contract after a federal judge last week ordered the union to end a work slowdown that had nearly crippled unloading of freight and creating delays for distributors and suppliers of everything from fresh foods to cars. The council represents four shipping companies – Matson Terminals Inc., Hawaii Stevedores Inc., McCabe Hamilton & Renney Co., and HT&T Co. The ILWU wants wage increases similar to the nearly 8 percent hike given to West Coast dockworkers last summer, Local 142 leader Eusebio Lepenia said. Supermarkets reported brisk weekend business as people stocked up on food, toilet paper and other staples. Stores said they didn't anticipate shortages this week, but said it might get harder to find fresh fruit and vegetables. Several stores said they had extra stock on hand to meet expected increased demand for people concerned about possible problems relating to the Year 2000 bug. Restaurants and other businesses said they would have to fly in their supplies, which could lead to increased prices. {{<End>}} A<>E<>R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Integrity has no need of rules. -Albert Camus (1913-1960) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your common sense." --Buddha + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly. -Bertrand Russell + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Everyone has the right...to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." 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