UFWOC grapes. Great deal on bilingual books. Biblioburro.

Hace mucho tiempo, when we were fit enough to carry a picket sign and young enough to walk a picket line holding it, supporting the United Farmworkers (UFWOC) was an easy decision. Hell, back then some of us couldn't even afford to buy grapes, so it wasn't such a sacrifice to stand up for the basic civil/human rights of those who provide our food.

If you've been out of that loop, you may be surprised to hear that the struggle is not over. And needs our support, again. Below is a message from UFWOC that deserves your read, if not more:

Tell 3,000 stores about Giumarra Vineyards' abuses

Retailers are in a special position to keep their suppliers accountable. This is why farm workers out at Giumarra Vineyards, the nation's largest table grape grower, are seeking their help in keeping their employer accountable.

We know from experience, however, that it is you--the consumer--whom grocers are most responsive to. Please let Unified Grocers, a Forbes Fortune 1,000 company made up of over 3,000 independent retailers, know that as a purchaser of Giumarra's Nature's Partner produce, they have a responsibility to hold this company to higher standards.

The conditions at Giumarra are deplorable. Go here to see what Giumarra employee Domingo Valderrama says about how his company treats farm workers:

You may be surprised to hear that Giumarra can get away with denying workers water or breaks during the hot summer months of CA's Central Valley, where temperatures climb to the triple digits. Not only is this a grave injustice, it is also illegal. However, this company has a long history of such violations.

State enforcement of the law has proven to be inadequate in protecting these workers. In order to be able to ensure their own protection, farm workers need union representation. Giumarra goes to great lengths to avoid losing any power over the farm workers toiling in their fields. In the past, they've harassed and intimidated workers who have tried to gain union representation.

In order to make sure that Giumarra cannot do this again, we need you to tell the buyers of Giumarra's and Nature's Partner's produce to demand this company uphold the law. Join Domingo in saying, "Si Se Puede!" Click here to send this message to them.

Keep up with the Giumarra campaign at: http://action.ufw.org/giumarra
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Super offer on bilingual books from Arte Público

Celebrate Children's Day / Book Day with a special 50% discount off books purchased for Día events! For inexpensive paperback books for children, such as Día founder Pat Mora's The Desert Is My Mother / El desierto es mi madre, please click here. Or visit our online catalog at www.artepublicopress.com.
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Check out the Biblioburro...

If you missed the spot on CNN about Luis Soriano, an elementary teacher in Columbia, go here.

Click here to read the latest blog post about Soriano, his donkeys Alfa and Beto, and their mission to spread literacy by taking books to children in rural areas in Colombia.

Es todo, hoy
RudyG