News From Rural Migrant Ministry!!

THANK YOU SENATOR SALAND! Recently Senator Stephen Saland sponsored a citation honoring Richard Witt. The Citation said the following: Resolved. That I, State Senator Stephen Saland recognize and

Deportation 101

Dear Friends,

I'd like to take this opportunity to inform you all about the upcoming event Deportation 101 to be hosted at the University at Buffalo Law School in Buffalo, NY on Saturday, November 8th.

This free training session will provide information and guidance on detention, deportation and the criminal justice system in order for service providers, organizers, and advocates to best organize communities most directly impacted by deportation.

Please help me in getting the word out about this meaningful opportunity.

All the Best,
Dave Montanye

RMM gives thanks to Marist College and it president Dennis Murray for bestowing up the Ministry and its Executive Director, Richard Witt, the 2008 President's Award. What a wonderful affirmation!

Farm work and protections

The New York Farm Bureau presents us with a false dilemma: Either "import workers, or you're going to import food" ["Survey says labor loss worrying LI farmers," News, Oct. 7]. This artificial ultimatum rests on a dubious premise: Since conditions of work on farms are so inevitably terrible that United States workers won't take these jobs, the argument goes, the only solution to agricultural labor shortages is to ramp up guest worker programs.
     How deceitful for the New York Farm Bureau to depict terms of agricultural employment as inevitable, when it has fought tooth-and-nail to deny agricultural employees rights and protections that would improve their conditions.
      Legislation exists that would extend to farm workers the same basic rights and protections that other workers have come to expect: overtime, a weekly day of rest, and collective bargaining protections, and more. Absent these guarantees, local workers with other options may continue to opt out of agricultural work. However, rather than support these measures, which would attract more applicants, the farm bureau instead calls for the expansion of a workforce composed of temporary workers whose severely restricted economic and political status leaves them vulnerable and compliant.
      When the farm bureau complains of an agricultural labor shortage, let's not forget that it has fought sensible options that would benefit farmers, workers, and all New Yorkers.

Jordan Wells

Editor's note: The writer is a coordinator with Rural and Migrant Ministry, Inc., a multifaith organization serving rural and migrant people in New York, Poughkeepsie'

LCLAA Pledges Support for Farmworker Equality

In August, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement adopted a strong resolution in support of equal rights for farmworkers. The resolution was submitted by the Albany/Capital District and New York City LCLAA Chapters and was adopted at their National Convention in Orlando, Florida. The resolution is detailed and strongly worded, concluding:

"THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that LCLAA will fully and actively support the passage of New York State legislation leading to equal rights for farmworkers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that LCLAA will educate its allies about this important issue of labor rights and racial equality."

For the full text of the resolution, see

http://www.lclaa.org/resolutions.html.

RMM Opposes Harsh and Unlawful Raids

Many of you are aware of the ongoing crisis taking place throughout Upstate. A climate of fear pervades upstate immigrant communities, owing to the lurking presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. ICE's indiscriminate "detainment operations" tear apart families. The most recent example of this was in late September, when an ICE raid in Sodus left a group of families afraid even to return home.

In view of this, RMM recently joined dozens of other religious, labor, asylum/refugee, and civil liberties groups in a letter supporting S.3594, the "Protect Citizens and Residents from Unlawful Raids and Detention Act." This bill would regulate ICE's sweeping and reckless raids by establishing minimum standards of due process and treatment. It would also require ICE to provide a toll-free number so individuals can locate their family members following ICE raids. The bill also includes protections so that ICE worksite raids don't undermine investigations of violations of labor laws.

For a copy of the bill or the letter, contact Jordan at farmworkerjustice@gmail.com.