Blog / Farm Workers
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FoodWorks New York, & the FRESH Celebration
On Monday, Local 1500 co-sponsored an event at the New School regarding the expected passage of F.R.E.S.H. (Food Retail Expansion to Support Health). Local 1500 President Bruce Both spoke at the event, along with New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (you can read her speech here, or watch it here).“Unfortunately, while more and more chickens are cage free, many workers are still caged.” Bruce Both, President, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1500 –
Bluntly opening her speech, Quinn noted some oversight by the council, "Suppose I told you that New York City had the opportunity to create thousands of new jobs – but we just weren’t doing it... Now suppose I went on to say that we’ve actually had that opportunity for years, we just weren’t paying close enough attention..." Her honest point came across clear, New York City (and NY State) has ignored the economic potential and the amount of impact a certain sector can have on one's health for what seems like forever. The sector is of course New York City's Food System. The facts are all there, as Peggy Shepard from WE ACT pointed out, "The recession leaves us unemployed, obese and diabetic, not only because of individual decisions, but because our environment works against our own being." The abundance of fast-food stores throughout the Bronx and Harlem strikes anyone who walks through those neighborhoods. KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, Popeyes and a bodgea, these are the options our youth is left with. More than half of New York City adults are overweight, and 34% are obese, 58% are either obese or overweight. In the past 10 years, the number of people with diabetes in NYC has more than doubled. An estimated 530,000 adult New Yorkers know they have diabetes. For every two people who have diabetes, there is another person who has it and doesn't yet know it, suggesting another 265,000 New Yorkers with diabetes. (NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)
"What they came up with was the first of its kind in the nation – the use of both zoning and tax incentives to bring more grocery stores to underserved communities. And we should all be incredibly proud and excited that the FRESH zoning initiatives are about to be passed by the full City Council this week." - Christine Quinn, Speaker, New York City Council.
In what seemed like a too good to be true event, Christine Quinn outlined a well informed five point plan called FoodWorks New York. Covering everything from manufacturing and transportation to the health of our communities, the broad Good Food, Good Jobs coalition has clearly taken much into consideration regarding the potential of the Food System for New York City by Quinn's blunt admissions on prior oversights, "But the truth is, each step in the food cycle – from the farm all the way to the table – has a major impact on the lives of every New Yorker. And each step has the potential to create jobs, to improve public health, and to preserve our shared environment. Or – if we continue to ignore those opportunities – the potential to cost us jobs, increase obesity, and pollute our air."
Quinn's FoodWorks NY:
1. Improving City's Food Infrastructure. Saying, "Too much of that infrastructure is outdated and inefficient, which costs us jobs and damages our environment. That’s why we need to begin making key, targeted investments – creating better links between the city and upstate producers, and supporting a smarter redevelopment of Hunts Point"
2. Creating new and better jobs in the food industry. Stressed the need to create better jobs in the Food Industry, "We talk a lot about getting people food, so they can feed their families. Now let’s use food to get people jobs, so they can afford to feed their families."3. Keep local food dollars in the local economy - Outlined that 2% of fruits and vegetables coming from Hunts Point come from New York State.
4. Reduce diet related illnesses like obesity, heart disease, diabetes. Bring healthier food to low income areas who lack access.
5. Reduce environmental damage from the consumption, transport and production of food. Stressed the need to cut out needless transportation of food from other states that is produced here in NY State. Cut greenhouse gases by using more rail transportation rather than truck.United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 has been on the forefront advocating for the development of a City-wide food policy. Working with the Mayor, Speaker and Department of City Planning, UFCW Local 1500 and a coalition of community groups have spent almost two years developing F.R.E.S.H and targeting the City’s food deserts for supermarket growth.
Through our innovative Building Blocks Project, we believe that Good Food, Good Jobs and Good Health are the building blocks of all communities and that New York City's economy benefits when communities are built on this foundation. FoodWorks New York has been covered by Supermarket News & The NY Times.
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UFW: Override Bush Regs
Bush's devastating new H2A regs still in effect. Tell Congress to override now
[from United Farm Workers]
Change has started. Upon taking office President Obama immediately stayed any pending or new 11th hour regulations that the Bush administration tried to push through.
However, this does not include the devastating new H2A regulations we wrote to you about. These regulations were not included as they already went into effect on Saturday and the only way they can be stopped through a congressional override that President Obama can then sign into law.
We need your help. These Bush administration H2A regulations gut existing protections for both domestic and foreign farm workers. They make it easier for growers to slash the pay of domestic farm workers and hire imported foreign laborers instead of U.S. field workers. They weaken government protections in an industry known for violating the minimum wage, housing requirements and other rules.
The new Obama Administration is facing a mountain of problems left by the outgoing administration. All of them are important. And all require action.
We need your help to ensure that farm workers do not get buried under the pile of crises. With a vote in Congress and a stroke of a pen, the new administration can reverse the terrible changes the Bush Administration wrote into effect. Please act now and e-mail your Congress members today and ask them to take immediate action.
Tell-A-Friend: Every e-mail sent makes a difference. Forward this message to at least 10 friends or family and ask them to send an e-mail too.
* If you want more background information or for the latest updates regarding the Bush Administration H2A regulations please click here.
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NYS Food Policy Report
FOOD POLICY COUNCIL ISSUES REPORT TO GOVERNOR PATERSON
Report Offers Food Policy Recommendations, Outlines Council’s Activities
The New York State Council on Food Policy today issued its annual report to Governor David A. Paterson. The report, required by Executive Order #13, includes a summary of the Council’s activities over the past year, as well as its recommendations on food policy for 2009 and proposed steps needed to implement the recommendations.
Over the past year, the Council held seven listening sessions around the State, gathering public testimony on the following four priority food policy areas.
· Maximizing participation in food and nutrition assistance programs;
· Strengthening the connection between local food products and consumers;
· Supporting efficient and profitable agricultural food production and food retail infrastructure and;
· Increasing consumer awareness and knowledge about healthy eating; and improving consumer access to safe and nutritious food.An overarching recommendation involves the creation of publicly available inventories of available food, nutrition and agricultural services in New York State. This data will serve as a foundation upon which to build targeted food policy recommendations.
For a copy of the Council on Food Policy’s annual report and all of its recommendations, please visit www.nyscfp.org and click on “Report to Governor”.
The New York State Council on Food Policy was created in 2007 with the recognition that in New York State, agriculture is a critically important industry; that hunger is a serious problem facing many families; that access to affordable, fresh and nutritious food is a serious problem, especially affecting children; and that there are significant environmental, health and economic benefits to the State and its residents from expanding agricultural production. At no time in recent history are these matters more prevalent in society than present.
To learn more about the Council on Food Policy, visit http://www.nyscfp.org or contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets at 518-485-7728.
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Justice for Farmworkers
Justice for Farmworkers
Since the 1930s New York's farmworkers have been excluded from the same rights and protections that most other workers take for granted, including a day of rest per week, overtime pay, disability insurance, and the right to bargain collectively with their employers. The Justice for Farmworkers Campaign brings together a remarkable coalition of faith communities, students and labor to stand with farmworkers in an effort to gain equality under New York State labor law.
New York farm workers deserve equality
Only recently have farmworkers been granted the right to clean drinking water in the fields, sanitation facilities, and the right to the same minimum wage as other workers, but the exclusions still remain. The Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act (S.3884/A.7528), a bill currently in the NY State Legislature, would remove these exclusions and grant farmworkers the dignity and equality they deserve.
Join us in the struggle for equal rights!
For more information email farmworkerjustice@gmail.com
Summary of the exclusion of farmworkers from New York labor laws
Business/Industry Farmworkers Collective Bargaining Workers protected when bargaining collectively No protection Child Labor Youth minimum age Lower minimum age Child Labor Restriction Restriction on children's hours, ages and hazardous work Fewer restrictions Overtime pay Overtime pay No overtime pay Unemployment Insurance $300 payroll threshold for employers $20,000 payroll threshold for employers Disability Insurance Required Not required Day of rest Mandatory day of rest No day of rest Sanitation Toilet required even if just one employee Toilet required only if more than 5 workers Health and safety Work sites must be arranged and operated safely Generally not covered by state and occupational health and safety laws Safety training Annual worker safety education required Safety education not required, except for pesticides Heat stress Shorted work periods, areas for cooling down No requirements when exposed to extreme heat Pesticides Routine monitoring of workers' exposure No monitoring Living Building and lodging codes New York Health code permits latrines. Inspections are only conducted at camps with 5 or more workers. -
CIW in NYC!
Come hear the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Image by Getty Images via DaylifeCome hear Florida Tomato Pickers Speak Out! UFCW Local 1500 & The Building Blocks Project proudly welcomes the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to New York City, where they will speak out about working conditions and their campaigns to get fast food chains to pay a fair price for the tomatoes they pick.
Join us on Wednesday, December 10 at 7.30 pm at the Church of the Holy Trinity 316 E. 88th between 1st & 2nd Avenues.
Download the Flyer here.
For more information head here.
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THE COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS will speak about working conditions in the fields and their campaigns to get fast food chains to agree to pay them just one cent more per pound (nearly doubling their wages). The tomato pickers currently receive from growers who supply Subway about 40 cents for a 32-lb. bucket, a mere 1.3 cents per pound. They must pick 120 buckets, or nearly 2 tons of tomatoes per day, to earn $50 in a 10-hour day.
At the reception, you can talk to the Immokalee workers & the event's co-sponsoring food justice groups.
C.I.W. is welcomed to New York City by
Congregation B'nai Jeshurun
Faith Leaders for Food Justice
Hazon
The New York City Coalition Against Hunger
New York Faith and Justice
The Peace and Restorative Justice Community of the Church of the Holy Trinity
Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York (ROC-NY)
Rural & Migrant Ministry on behalf of the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign
United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500
World Hunger Year (WHY)
To learn more about the Coalition of Immokalee Workers campaign for economic justice,
visit their website: http://www.ciw-online.org
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"Neighborhoods Must Be Building Blocks"
"Neighborhood groups must be building blocks for an urban food agenda," said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer yesterday. And the Building Blocks Project could not agree with him more: neighborhood groups and organized workers have to stand in solidarity and speak out for food democracy.
On November 19, 2008, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 parterned with other community groups to present The Politics of Food: A Conference on New York's Next Policy Challenge. The conference included keynote speeches from U.N. General Assembly President Father Miguel D'Escoto, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Director of the Center for Social Inclusion, Maya Wiley.
650 members of the New York City community to discuss a blueprint for a city-wide food policy agenda.
D'Escoto: U.N. G.A. President Miguel D'Escoto called for a new spirit of solidarity locally and internationally: now is the time "for a new spirit of food that starts from the bottom up." D'Escoto said of Wal*Mart, "Their days are numbered."
Bloomberg: Mayor Bloomberg expressed his commitment to end the food crisis. "You cannot get fruits and vegetables in a lot of bodegas in this city," he said. He also spoke of the need to "spur development of supermarkets" by using city-owned land for supermarkets and developing zoning and financing initiatives.
Wiley: Maya Wiley spoke out against the lack of food access and the lack of opportunities for New York City's minorities. She also pointed out that a supermarket-based strategy will not work in the longterm unless we also "drastically and radically restructure" so that workers and minorities are afforded credit, living-wages; and supermarkets must begin to source locally-grown food if they are to remain relevant.
Conference participants broke out into 7 'working groups' that discussed problems with the City's food system; and together we developed solutions that will form the basis of a city-wide food blueprint. Those recommendations will be released before the end of 2008.
