I light of the recent Immigration reform proposals by the Bush administration, FJF is sending out the following information on AgJobs.

John Ruiz
Assistant Director, Systems Development and Policy Administration
Migrant Health Coordinator
National Association of Community Health Centers, Inc.
7200 Wisconsin Avenue Suite 210
Bethesda, MD  20814
(301) 347-0442
(301) 347-0459 FAX
(202) 365-0154 Cell Phone
jruiz@...
www.nachc.com

"Youth is the gift of nature but age is a work of art."
- Garson Kanin

NOTICE:  As a result of Hurricane Katrina, over 100 health center sites in LA, MS and AL have been totally destroyed, are closed due to damage, or damaged but still operating.  The total estimated damage is $65 million.  To date,  $1.7 million has been contributed to the Hurricane Relief Fund for Health Centers.  It's not too late to make a donation.  Please visit us at www.nachc.com for more info or to make a contribution.  Thank you!

 -----Original Message-----
From:   Adrienne DerVartanian [mailto:adervartanian@...]
Sent:   Wednesday, November 30, 2005 1:17 PM
To:     fjf@...
Subject:        AgJOBS Action Alert - Please Contact Pennsylvania Senators

Farmworker Justice Action Alert

Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. · 1010 Vermont Ave., NW, #915, Washington, DC 20005 · www.fwjustice.org

AgJOBS Farmworker Immigration Bill                                  November 30, 2005                          

Please Contact Pennsylvania Senators Specter and Santorum

Hello Friends,

President Bush's statements this week on immigration were disappointing, but by raising the issue he increased the intensity of the debate and the likelihood that Congress will arrive at a resolution.  The time is ripe for advocacy in Congress.  Farmworkers need your help in support of the AgJOBS farmworker immigration bill.

Both the House and the Senate will address immigration reform in upcoming months.  This is our opportunity to make sure that AgJOBS is part of any immigration legislation that passes.  AgJOBS is the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2005, S. 359/H.R. 884, a compromise between farmworker organizations, agricultural employers, and Democratic and Republican legislators.  The majority of farmworkers are undocumented and suffer poor working conditions and low wages.  If enacted, AgJOBS would provide a chance for many current farmworkers to earn permanent legal immigration status, enabling them to come out of the shadows and bargain for better working conditions and wages.  AgJOBS would also change the H-2A agricultural guestworker program to streamline the application process for employers while safeguarding labor rights.  AgJOBS is a mature bipartisan compromise with majority support ready for passage!

Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) is key to the AgJOBS bill.  He is Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over immigration, and is leading efforts to draft a compromise on comprehensive immigration legislation.  He is a cosponsor of the AgJOBS bill and voted in favor of it in April 2005 during a Senate vote (the bill won a majority of Senators but did not gain the sixty votes needed to be attached to a military appropriations bill).  But his past support does not guarantee that he will help bring AgJOBS to a vote.  He needs to hear from us.

Please contact Senator Specter to thank him for his support of AgJOBS and to ask for his continued support and his help in bringing AgJOBS to a successful vote in 2006.

Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) is not a cosponsor of AgJOBS and needs to hear the voice of his constituents on this important issue. We believe it is possible to obtain Sen. Santorum's support for AgJOBS. 

We suggest sending a short letter by fax.  Two sample letters (one for Senator Specter and one for Senator Santorum) are attached to this email.  Please sign the letter and include your name and address.  You may also call your Senator's office and can use the letter’s contents as “talking points."  Mailed letters will be delayed too long.

In addition, please circulate this alert to your friends, family, associates, affiliates and other contacts in Pennsylvania so that thousands of their constituents contact these Senators.

Fax and phone numbers for Senator Specter are as follows: Washington, DC:  Tel: 202-224-4254, Fax: 202-228-1229; Allentown Office: Tel: 610-434-1444, Fax: 610-434-1844; Erie Office: Tel: 814-453-3010, Fax: 814-455-9925; Harrisburg Office: Tel: 717-782-3951, Fax: 717-782-4920; Philadelphia Office: Tel: 215-597-7200, Fax: 215-597-0406; Pittsburgh Office: Tel: 412-644-3400, Fax: 412-644-4871; Scranton Office: Tel: 570-346-2006, Fax: 570-346-8499; Wilkes-Barre Office: Tel: 570-826-6265, Fax: 570-826-6266

Fax and phone numbers for Senator Santorum are as follows: Washington, DC: Tel: 202-224-6324, Fax: 228-0604; Allentown Office: Tel: 610-770-0142, Fax: 610-770-0911; Altoona Office: Tel: 814-946-7023, Fax: 814-946-7025; Coudersport Office: Tel: 814-274-9773, Fax: 814-274-2253; Erie Office: Tel: 814-454-7114, Fax: 814-459-2096; Harrisburg Office: Tel: 717-231-7540, Fax: 717-231-7542; Philadelphia Office: Tel: 215-864-6900, Fax: 215-864-6910; Pittsburgh Office: Tel: 412-562-0533, Fax: 412-562-4313; Scranton Office: Tel: 570-344-8799; Fax: 570-344-8906.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Adrienne DerVartanian at (202) 783-2628, ext. 204 or adervartanian@....  Information about AgJOBS is posted on our website under Legislative News.

<<SenSantorumAgJOBSLetter.doc>>    <<SenSpecterAgJOBSletter.doc>>

Adrienne DerVartanian
Staff Attorney/Policy Analyst
Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc.
1010 Vermont Ave., NW, Suite 915
Washington, DC 20005
Tel. (202) 783-2628, ext. 204
Fax (202) 783-2561
www.fwjustice.org

Please support Farmworker Justice with your tax-deductible donation