Familias Unidas por la Justicia

Shining the Light on Our Social & Environmental Justice Action Work at 
BUF, Story of the Week

Familias Unidas por la Justicia is a newly formed Union, initially made 
up of migrant farmworkers (indigenous peoples from Mexico who speak 
Native languages rather than Spanish) working at Sakuma Berry Farm in 
Skagit County.  The Union has now spread down the West Coast into Mexico 
and is spreading to eastern parts of the country as well.  This new 
union has faced enormous struggles--lack of basic necessities when 
striking, threats, paid anti-union publicity campaigns, physical harm, 
etc.  C2C has been a strong support and information system for this 
union, and, via the partnership, many from BUF have been involved in 
their actions.

Recently, several BUF and C2C folks went down to join 60 or so others to 
peacefully demonstrate at Sakuma on Labor Day.  They physically blocked 
the entrance into the Sakuma processing plant, forcing trucks to go over 
land or via personal driveways to find a way in.  Police came,  but the 
demonstrators had lawyers along who persuaded the police not to take 
action. The part of the action, though, that the farmworkers found the 
most meaningful, was surprising. C2C staff suggested a theatrical 
demonstration where the workers' experience could be witnessed.  The 
workers acted out the supervisors using heavy-handed tactics to get the 
workers to pick faster than is right or healthy or even possible--and 
they acted out how they resisted.  But this time, they could show their 
resistance more strongly, forcefully and safely. And they burned the 
picking policy document.  Witnesses and those witnessed found this 
experience both powerful and empowering.

South African Farmerworkers Visit Belllingham

This was a big week for Rosalinda Guillen (BUF Member and Executive Director of Community to Community-C2C).  She was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Community Food Coop's Meet the Directors Dinner. Her organization was hosting farmworkers/small farmers from South Africa as part of their Community Alliance for Global Justice West Coast visit.  And author/activist Eric Holt Gimenez, who has been called one of the world’s most “prominent critics of the global food system” was in Bellingham to present at the Whatcom Food Justice conference--which Rosalinda was helping organize.  On top of all this, Rosalinda was getting ill.

Rosalinda had reached out to the BUF-C2C Partnership Team earlier to ask if several of us might like to take the South African farmworkers out to breakfast, and asked me if I could host Eric at our Inn.  As the week arrived and Rosalinda wasn't feeling well, our contribution became bigger.  I offered to host the farmworkers overnight out at our place as well and cook for them and Eric too, inviting those who had signed up to take the farmworkers out to breakfast.  I went into town to transport them and was fortunate to catch much of Rosalinda's talk with the Coop staff, directors, and members--she was lucidly and powerfully sending a message (despite her illness) that clearly had the audience inspired to take action. 

At home, we all had a fascinating evening talking about farming and South Africa (geography, race relations from the perspective of Black SA's, economy, the consequences of protesting, etc)--my husband Kurt stayed up until 1:30 talking with Peteros, a South African farmworker/organizer. In the morning, Kurt gave Eric and the farmworkers a tour of his small demonstration permaculture farm.  One of the small farmers has been trying to go organic in an area where no one else is--and found the permaculture principles illuminating.  Then we had a healthful brunch together with the whole group--smiles and laughter and goodwill all around.  Connections that will last in our hearts and make changes, however small--but still significant, in how we each live our lives.   

~ Kara Black, C2C/BUF Partnership Team member

C2C and Familias Unidas por la Justicia to Mexico!

Shining the Light on Our Social & Environmental Justice Action Work at
BUF, Story of the Week

This week's story is from our partner organization, Community to
Community.  The focus for the rest of this month will be on the work of
this partnership, with other social justice action teams chiming in in
future months.

Something remarkable was planned. C2C staff and the President (Ramon)
and Vice-President (Felimon) of the first independent farmworker's
union, Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ), based in our little corner
of Washington, travelled to the border to meet their Mexico farmworker
counterparts who also grow and harvest berries for Driscoll.  (As an
aside: FUJ has called for a boycott of all Driscoll Berries until Sakuma
Farms agrees to negotiate a fair labor contract with its workers).  The
plan was to meet at the fence with the FUJ workers on one side, and the
farmworkers from Mexico on the other.  While free trade agreements allow
capital and corporate types from the company to flow freely across the
border, the workers cannot.  The C2C and FUJ folks left Bellingham by
car at noon on Friday and just got back at 4 am today, Tuesday.

The logistics of the border proved too tough for the meeting, but there
were some positive outcomes, nonetheless.  Though the Mexico and US
farmworkers could not hear each other talk at the border, they did talk
by phone and solidified the cross border commitment to the Driscoll
boycott.  They plan to try face-to fence-to face talks with the same
groups again in early December. An even happier outcome was that the
FUJ/C2C group ended up connecting with a group of 12 young Latino
students and children of famworkers in San Diego in a "wonderful"
meeting.  This group of young leaders is enthusiastic about the new
union and is planning to take the boycott to larger groups in San Diego
and LA.  See the photo of their meeting at Chicano Park in San Diego.

Upcoming October and November events with C2C

Upcoming opportunities to get involved with the Community-to-Community (C2C)-BUF Partnership's work:

*October 22nd: Rosalinda (BUF Member and ED of C2C) will be the keynote speaker at the Community Food Co-op's Membership Meeting.  If you are a Co-op Member, please attend.  The Co-op recently joined the Domestic Fair Trade Association (Rosalinda is on the National Board)

*October 23rd: Join C2C-BUF Partnership Team members for breakfast at the Old Town Cafe at 9:30 am with farmers from South Africa who are struggling greatly to bring sustainable farming practices back to their land.  They are being hosted in Bellingham by C2C.  Please let Kara Black (676-2300, karab@treefrognight.com) know you are coming.

*October 23rd: Come to the Whatcom Food Network's afternoon meeting from 2-5 at St. Luke's Education Center with keynote speaker Eric Holt-Gimenez.  He will be speaking about Race and the Food System.

*November 2: Day of the Dead evening celebration at C2C focusing on social justice movements.  Meet at C2C (203 W.Holly-time TBD) dressed as your favorite social activist from the past to honor them.  There will be time to share about who you are dressed as and then there will be a candlelight march to the bridge where we will create an alter honoring these people.

*December 13: Christmas Party for all the Sakuma Farmworkers and their families.  BUF members are invited to attend this festive evening in Skagit County.  Food contributions and unwrapped gifts for the children (toddler to teen) are welcome.  If you would like to carpool or need directions or want to contribute gifts but cannot attend, please contact Kara Black (676-2300, karab@treefrognight.com)