Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
WWU Students for Farmworker Justice
Media Kit
Rachel Loofburrow Genevieve Carrillo
Connor Hanna
! 1
Table of Contents
Logo and tagline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Media Backgrounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Top Ten FAQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Feature Pitch Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Radio PSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Media Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Club photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
! 2
WWU Students for Farmworker Justice Logo and Tagline
! 3
Standing with farmworkers. Standing for justice
WWU Students for Farmworker Justice Media Backgrounder Press contact: Kathryn Durning [email protected] Phone: 360.619.8850 Overview Section: The club is an Associated Students club that serves as a boycott committee in support of farmworker rights. The club formed in response to a call for support from the farmworkers of Sakuma Bros. through their union, Familias Unidas por la Justicia (Families United for Justice) in fall of 2014. The Sakuma Bros. is one of the largest berry growers in the Pacific Northwest region located in Burlington, WA. The main goal of the farm workers is to secure a contract that guarantees fair wages and better treatment. Students and workers join together in solidarity in order to achieve this main goal and also to educate the community about farm labor issues.
Current Activities:
• The club does consistent picketing at local grocers that have Sakuma berry products sold at their businesses
• The club participates in an on-going Driscolls boycott campaign because Sakuma distributes berries to the company
• The club has organized a farm worker panel event coming up on April 30 for students to speak directly with farm workers
• The club will be participating in the March for Dignity event taking place from Lynden to Bellingham in Whatcom on May 3
Key Terms: Farmworker- A person who works in agriculture or a related industry such as food processingMigrant farmworker- Someone who moves from community to community, usually based on season and job availabilitySeasonal farmworker- Someone who lives in one community year roundGuest worker- The national H-2A guest-workers program is used to bring legal workers into the U.S.
! 4
Facts: Local- The Sakuma Brothers Farms Background-
• Sakuma Brothers Farms is an 85-year-old family business run by the fourth generation of the Sakuma family. (Sakuma Berry Farm Facts, 2015)
• The second generation in 1935 moved from Bainbridge Island to the Skagit valley to begin farming strawberries. The family diversified their business to include raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and apples. (Sakuma Berry Farm Facts, 2015)
• The company has grown to include a plant nursery, a processing facility, a farmers market and a sales department. (Sakuma Berry Farm Facts, 2015)
The Sakuma Farmworkers Struggle- • The Sakuma workers had concerns over farm housing, sought
overtime pay which is not required by law, wanted adequate child care, had grievances over cultural conflicts and wanted a change to the way their wages were calculated. (Seattle Times, 2013)
• A core issue for farmworkers at Sakuma has been the arrival of guest workers, mostly from Mexico, which was used for the first time that Sakuma or any Western Washington fruit grower will have used it. (Seattle Times, 2013)
• In June, owner Steve Sakuma settled a suit(the largest farm worker settlement in state history) agreeing to pay $500,000 to 1,2000 workers in a class-action lawsuit over pounds of berries that workers claimed they were not paid for. (Seattle Globalist, 2015)
• Farmers must pick 320 pounds a day but many farmworkers aren’t able to pick more than 150 pounds, at 30 cents a pound. (Seattle Globalist, 2015)
• A boycott against Sakuma protest at the Bellingham Community Food Co-op occurred Feb. 25, 2015. The farm
! 5
workers of Sakuma Farms planned the protest to encourage the Co-op to continue their boycott against Sakuma until they have a contract. (Western Front, 2015)
Regional- • The Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC)is
increasingly concerned about race and national discrimination against farmworkers in relation to housing. (WSHRC, 2007) The following are facts they provide.
o The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says some of the most severe farmworker housing issues are in the Pacific Northwest and Florida
o Housing discrimination is prevalent against Hispanic families
o It is becoming difficult for non-profit agencies to find locations to build farmworker housing
o There are many types of farm work in Washington State including cherry, apple, asparagus, and other fruits and vegetables in Eastern and Central Washington, fruit and vegetable packing houses, floral harvesting (such as tulips) in the Skagit Valley, forestry work in Western Washington and aquaculture farming which includes the harvesting of oysters and other shellfish in Western Washington
• The Department of Employment Security (DES) estimated that Washington State has a peak of 90,000 migrant workers over the course of the summer and fall, when pruning and harvesting take place. (News America Media, 2013)
• The right of farmworkers to organize into unions in Washington is not as protected as it is in California under that state’s Agriculture Labor Act. (News America Media, 2013)
National- • The national non-profit organization called Farmworker Justice
seeks to empower migrant and seasonal farmworkers to improve their living and working conditions, immigration status, health, occupational safety and access to justice. It is based in
! 6
Washington D.C. and was founded in 1981. (Farmworker Justice, 2015) The following are facts they provide.
o As many as 70% or more of farmworkers are undocumented
o Seventy-six perfect of all farmworkers identify as Latino/Hispanic with Spanish being the most dominant language for 70% of all farmworkers, 57% of them speaking little (30%) or no (27%) English
o Seventy-six perfect of all farmworkers are meno The average total individual income is $15,000-$17,499,
this figure may include income earned from jobs outside of agriculture
• United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) started the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All migrant Workers and Members of Their Families in 2003. The objective of the convention is to protect migrant workers and their families from exploitation of their human rights. (UNESCO, 2014) They list the following rights.
o Migrant workers have the right to be temporarily absent for reasons of family needs and obligation without effect on their authorization to stay or work.
o They should have the right to move freely in the territory of the state of employment and they should be able to choose where they wish to reside.
o Migrant workers should be ensured due process and must be provided with necessary legal assistance, interpreters and information in their language.
o Migrant workers are to be treated as equal to the nationals of the host country in respect of remuneration and conditions of work (overtime, hours of work, weekly rest, holidays with pay, safety, health, termination of work contract, minimum age, restrictions on home work, etc).
! 7
Short Bios: Andrew Eckels, a committee leader, is a senior at Fairhaven College studying social movements. He is passionate about social justice issues and got involved after learning from the farm workers what was happening at Sakuma Brothers. They asked him to support the struggle. For him, it is one of the most important social movements in the Pacific Northwest. Contact: [email protected]
Kathryn Durning, a committee leader, is a junior at Fairhaven College with a concentration in Law, Diversity and Justice: cultural and social borders in the United States. Durning became part of the club after the call to action from the farm workers of Familias Unidas por la Justicia. She supports justice and dignity for all people. Contact: [email protected]
Raichle Dunkeld, a committee leader, is a first-year Fairhaven student who is currently undecided with a focus on environmental advocacy. She became a part of the club last January after an event was held. She believes in the rights of undocumented workers and believes that working in solidarity to create a union contract is an achievable and meaningful goal.Contact: [email protected] Boilerplate: Western Washington University Students for Farm worker Justice was founded in 2014 after students were asked to join in solidarity with the farm workers of Sakuma Bros in Skagit County, Washington. This Associated Students club, which is dedicated to the support and assistance of the farm workers and raising awareness about local farm worker issues, meets once a week on Thursdays in the Humanities building on WWU’s campus. The committee is non-hierarchical with no official titles in place. http://boycottsakumaberries.com/
Sources
“About Farmwoker Justice”. Farmworker Justice. http://www.farmworkerjustice.org/about-farmworker-justice
! 8
Becker, Christina. “Students for Farm Worker Justice stage protest.” The Western Front. 2015.http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/news_photo/article_1afe1ed4-be45-11e4-a8b2-4f4e9e0310da.html
Brenman, Marc. “Farmworkers Deserve Discrimination Free-Housing.” Washington State Human Rights Commission Executive Director. 2007.http://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/exec/civilrights/documents/farmworker.ashx?la=en
Familias Unidas por la Justicia. Boycott Sakuma Berries. 2015.http://boycottsakumaberries.com/how-you-can-walk-with-familias-unidas-por-la-justicia/
“International Migration Convention”. UNESCO. 2014.http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/international-migration-convention/
Randall, Rebecca. “What can Sakuma workers on strike learn from ‘Food Chains’?”Seattle Globalist. 2015. http://seattleglobalist.com/2015/01/02/can-sakuma-workers-strike-learn-food-chains/31979
“Sakuma Brothers Berry Farms”. Sakuma Bros. 2015.http://sakumafacts.com/about/
Turnbull, Lornet and Boiko-Weyrauch, Anna. “Striking farmworkes afraid of guest-worker program.” Seattle Times. 2013. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/striking-farmworkers-afraid-of-guest-worker-program/
Holmes, Seth. “What we Learn From the Indigenous Farmworker Strike in Pac. Northwest”. News American Media. 2013.http://newamericamedia.org/2013/07/what-we-learn-from-the-indigenous-farmworker-strike-in-pac-northwest.php
! 9
! 10
WWU Students for Farmworker Justice Top Ten Frequently Asked Questions:
1. When and where do you meet? The club meets every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Humanities 103
2. What does the club support? WWU Students for Farmworker Justice is a nonprofit WWU Associated Students club partnered with Familias Unidas por la Justicia and Community to Community in support of farm workers and their fight for just labor conditions.
3. How can I get involved? Attend weekly meetings regularly and support the club at their off-campus events such as picket lines.
3. Who is the club president? SFWJ is a “horizontally-led” club where there is no clear and elected leadership. The club is led by the combined effort of all the students together.
5. How does the club help Whatcom County Farmers? The committee has been organizing year-round rallies, helping to fundraise for Community to Community, and raising awareness by hosting events such as movie showing, informal presentations and relationship-building with Whatcom County farm workers.
6. Who are the Familias Unidas por la Justicia? According to their Facebook page, Familias Unidas por la Justicia is made up of over 300 indigenous migrant farmworker families who launched a boycott in order to secure a contract with their employer, Sakuma Bros. Farm.
7. What is wrong with the Sakuma Brothers Berry Farm?
! 11
The farm pays migrant workers only 30 cents-per-pound of berries picked. After eight hours of harvesting, the farm workers typically end up with $25 to $65, depending on experience.
8. How can I help boycott Sakuma Berries? Avoid buying products such as berries and ice cream using berries from the Sakuma Brothers farm. Local grocery stores that support the Sakuma Berries boycott include Terra Organica, on Cornwall Avenue, and the Bellingham Co-op located downtown and in Cordata.
9. How many members are involved? Up to 150 WWU students have shown up to off-campus rallies and picket lines.
10. Who do I contact to join? [email protected]
! 12
Subject: Recipient of WWU Adventure Learning Grant seeks justice
Dear Maddie Takata and Heidi DeHart,
Some students grew up watching cartoons and playing in pillow forts. Western Washington University student Kathryn Durning grew up surrounded by a family passionate about social justice.
Durning, a WWU junior in Fairhaven College, is one of the leaders of Western Students for Farmworker Justice, an Associate Students club that organizes rallies, picket lines and information sessions to spread the word about unfair labor practices. Her personal experiences, specifically from growing up surrounded by family members, who were passionate in making a difference, have given her the drive to pursue justice for the farmworkers in Whatcom County and Skagit Valley.
Durning is 2015’s recipient of the Fairhaven College Adventure Learning grant. This grant is a $15,000 stipend awarded annually to each of two Fairhaven students so that they may travel abroad to enrich their education with intellectual risk, challenge and adventure, according to the Fairhaven College website.
With this grant, Durning hopes to spend 10 months in Nicaragua and Costa Rica working on an oral history project and hearing the stories of queer migrant workers and the struggles they have overcome.
As a part of this club, Durning wants to shed some light on the issues farmworkers in Washington State face, specifically the ones at the Sakuma Bros farm. Currently, Durning is adament about getting WWU to end their support of the Sakuma Bros farm in the dining halls. WWU buys all their berries from Driscoll’s, a company who gets their supply from Sakuma in Skagit Valley. By purchasing these berries, they are giving their support to a company who underpays and overworks their workers. The University of Washington has already put a stop to purchasing berries picked at the Sakuma Bros farm; Durning wants to see if WWU can too.
Potential interviews include Fairhaven faculty professor John Tuxill, who approved Durning’s proposal for the Adventure Learning Grant. Additionally, WWU junior Andrew Eckels has been leading the WSFJ alongside Durning for a year, and would be a knowledgeable source.
A media backgrounder on WSFJ has been attached to this email providing further information on the organization and its members. Their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/WWUstudentsforfarmworkerjustice.
All club members can be reached through: [email protected]
! 13
May 5, 2015 - For Immediate Releaseboycottsakumaberries.com
WWU Students for Farmworker Justice (WSFJ) Script
30 sec. Radio PSA
It’s important for employees to be treated with respect by their employers. [pause] Sakuma Brothers Farms do not see the importance of this and their employees have had enough.
Join Western Students for Farmworker Justice and get these workers the treatment they deserve. You can work side-by-side with these hardworking individuals in their fight for respect from their own employer.
Anyone can join and make a difference for these workers and their families. Get involved at boycott Sakuma berries dot com. Let’s fight for farmworkers.
Tagline: Let’s fight for farmworkers. SoundCloud link: https://soundcloud.com/connor-hanna-1/wsfj-radio-psa/s-qwywh
! 14
Media Articles
Story continued: http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/news_photo/article_1afe1ed4-be45-11e4-a8b2-4f4e9e0310da.html
Story continued:
! 15
http://www.westernfrontonline.net/news/article_feabd8c2-a2a9-11e4-bdbf-bbc06f4ac2ad.html
! 16
! 17
Club group photo
Club and Community picket line
! 18
Kathryn Durning (pictured right) with other club members
Andrew Eckles using megaphone at on-campus rally
