Mexican Farm Workers’ Struggle in Historical Strike in Baja California - 26:27
Mexican Farm Workers’ Struggle in Historic Strike
with
. Al Rojas, a Founding Member of the United Farm
Workers; current Pres. , Sacramento Labor Council for Latin American
Advancement (AFL-CIO)
. Eduardo Rosario, Executive Board Member, NYC
Chapter, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
Mexican farm workers in the San Quintin Valley of the state
of Baja California are calling for international action to support their
demands for decent wages and an end to labor abuses by international produce
companies that operate throughout Mexico primarily for export to the US
under the label of Driscoll’s. More than 33,000 farm workers declared a
historic strike in late March which stopped work at peak harvest and have
continued their protests ever since waging intermittent strikes and road
blocks and mass mobilizations which have extended to workers in Washington
State. They compare their working conditions to those that existed during
the colonial period with workdays of more than 15 hours . The San Quintin
Valley is a major producer of fruits and vegetables that are exported
primarily to the United States. The workers here pick as many as 160 kilos a day
that sell for more than $2,000, while the workers make on average US$7 a
day. The workers are demanding a base salary of at least $13 for every
8-hour workday as well as recognition by companies and union officials.
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