SACRAMENTO – Actor Marin Sheen says “It is fair and just…” in his call for standard overtime pay for farm workers. Sheen adds his support to a measure by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) that extends overtime pay provisions to farm workers who work more than eight hours in a day. This measure has passed out of the Legislature and is heading to the desk of Governor Schwarzenegger.

Sheen has been a longtime supporter of farm worker rights, marching with Cesar Chavez in 1965. In a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger, Sheen writes, “This measure’s time has come at long last!” His letter of support joins that of editorial boards throughout California, including those of the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Sacramento Bee.

Farm workers are currently the only California employees who are exempt from receiving overtime when they work more than eight hours in a day, although they often labor 12 or more hours a day at harvest time. SB 1121 would simply remove that exemption and treat them as any other workers are treated.

Sheen will be available to answer questions via telephone.

Please email Janice Tsai ([email protected]) in the office of Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez to set up an appointment.

(It is unconscionable that people have to fight for something so basic as safe drinking water. – promoted by Julia Rosen)

Approximately 200 farm workers and their families live in the 49 units at the Rafael L. Silva Migrant Family Housing Center in Los Banos, CA. These workers don’t have access to safe drinking water. Please help.

According to the Merced County Health Department, the water that comes out of their pipes has unacceptable amounts of arsenic, copper and radionuclide. Families get a ration of bottled water. However, they say the amount is not enough to have clean water for household chores and practice good hygiene. Families end up using having to use the contaminated well water.

Martin Jimenez and his family use the well water to shower. “Your hair falls out,” he said, describing the experience. Jimenez also said he has a rash from using the water. Other workers wash their dishes in this water. (July 12, Los Banos Enterprise)

Fish and Game has a pipeline that could provide safe water to these families, but they refuse to allow these families to use it. The Housing Authority has been negotiating with them ever since the camp re-opened in 2006 to be allowed to use Fish and Game’s pipeline until the Housing Authority could put in its own. Every excuse that Fish and Game has given has been resolved. However, they still refuse to allow the community to connect to their water line that receives safe water from the City of Los Banos.  

Please help. Sign the online petition TODAY & tell Fish and Game to be a good neighbor and stop forcing kids and their families to use contaminated water.

You can go to: http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/losbanos