Bi-National People's Tribunal on the Struggles of Farmworkers in North America
March 28 2024 - 5:02PM
Grassroots farmworker organizations from the United States and
Canada are convening a People's Tribunal on the Struggles of
Farmworkers in North America from March 29-31, 2024. The Tribunal
is being hosted by the Food Chain Workers Alliance at The People's
Forum in New York City.
In this participatory process, workers, organizers and members
of the public will hear direct testimony from U.S. and Canadian
farmworkers on the daily conditions they face, what protections
they need, and what organizing goals should be prioritized in
worker-led movements. The tribunal will focus broadly on three
priority areas for the future of farmworker labor organizing:
health & safety, freedom of movement, and climate justice. A
post-tribunal report will capture testimonies and articulate a
collective, alternative vision of farmworker justice.
The jury panel includes: Max Ajl (University of Tunis/MECAM),
Jaribu Hill (Mississippi Workers' Center for Human Rights),
Chaumtoli Huq (Law@theMargins), Raj Patel (University of Texas at
Austin), and Rob Robinson (Partners for Dignity &
Rights).
This event is organized by members of the FCWA Farmworker
Committee, collectively representing thousands of agricultural
workers across eight U.S. states and one Canadian province: Alianza
Agrícola, California Institute for Rural Studies, Comité de apoyo a
los trabajadores agrícolas (CATA), Community to Community
Development, Familias Unidas por la Justicia, Farmworker
Association of Florida, Justicia for Migrant Workers, Migrant
Justice, Pioneer Valley Workers Center, Rural & Migrant
Ministry, Workers' Center of Central New York, and Worker Justice
Center of New York.
Sessions Open to the Public: Friday, March 29: 2:30 - 3:30 PM:
Tribunal Welcome & Juror Introduction
Saturday, March 3010:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Health & Safety2:00 -
4:30 PM: Freedom of Movement5:00 - 7:30 PM: Climate Justice
Sunday, March 3112:00 PM: Closing Session in Foley Square
"Our current legal and political system will not bring justice
for exploited workers. Our members in the farmworker sector are
leaders of a grassroots movement, and they have decided to not only
work defensively against the forces that oppress them, but also to
create their own solutions." - Suzanne Adely, FCWA
Co-Director
“It’s important to have farmworkers come together at this time
to share our stories and strategize collectively across the region.
We want to offer a different vision for our food system than the
one set by the industry. To do that, workers need to come together
and wield our power.” - Edgar Franks, Political Director at
Familias Unidas por la Justicia
"Our voices, of farmworkers, nursery, construction, and domestic
workers too many times go unheard when it comes to making and
enforcing laws in the United States, and especially in Florida. We
have been saying for decades that we need the compensation and
protections that are standard in other industries, as we see
everyday employers that exploit as much as they can get away with.
We are who feeds, builds, drives, and cares for this country. We
are people of action, and we are looking for something to be done.
That is why we are going to the People’s Tribunal, so our voices
will be heard, and that action will happen." - Yésica
Ramirez, General Coordinator at Farmworker Association of
Florida
"Farmworkers across the U.S. and Canada have been demanding
worker protections for decades. Most traditional legal remedies for
migrant agricultural workers are piecemeal and don't get to the
heart of the systems of oppression that create their conditions.
The People's Tribunal centers workers' experiences across farms and
even across borders to demand real, lasting changes to our food
systems." - Chris Ramsaroop, Organizer with Justicia for
Migrant Workers
"In New York State, farmworkers have achieved major victories
expanding legal rights and protections. However, these rights are
under constant threat by employers who aim to undermine collective
bargaining protections, sew divisions among workers based on
immigration status, and prevent their employees from organizing in
the workplace. In these times, it is critical that we hear from
workers on the front lines of the fight to secure safe and
dignified working conditions in the agricultural sector." -
Emma Kreyche, Dir. of Advocacy, Outreach & Education at
Worker Justice Center of NY
More information and updates can be found at
https://foodchainworkers.org/peoples-tribunal
Contact:
Elizabeth Walle, elizabeth@foodchainworkers.org