July 23, 2002

Rally Set For Sunday
NY Farmworkers Seek Justice

by Stewart S. Lilker

Farmworkers and their allies, fed up with the New York State Senate’s continued indifference to the unjust treatment of farm workers, announced their first Long Island Action. The event, sponsored by the Justice for Farm workers' Campaign and The Independent Farmworker Center, will take place in Freeport, on Sunday, July 28th.

According to the organizers, the purpose of the rally and march is to demand that Republican members of the Senate Labor Committee, of which Freeport’s State Senator Fuschillo is a member, sponsor omnibus legislation to remove the legislative exclusions that deny farmworkers the same rights as other laborers in New York. These basic rights include: the right to a day of rest each week; the right to overtime pay; and the right to organize and bargain collectively. As it now stands, farm workers are not considered an employees under the law.

The Freeport march will begin at Freeport Village Hall, 46 North Ocean Avenue at 01:00 p.m. and proceed across Sunrise Highway to the office of Senator Fuschillo, located at 30 South Ocean Avenue, a block away. Senator Fuschillo has been a member of the Labor Committee for the past two years.

Minerva Moya of the Rural and Migrant Ministry, told FreeportNYNews, "We are trying to draw attention to the terrible way the migrant farmworkers are treated. We are coming to Long Island because the law makers feel it is not their issue. That’s not true. Everybody has to eat."

A rally will take place in the parking lot across from Fuschillo’s office. Spokespersons for the Justice for Farmworker Campaign and other constituents will be available to answer questions.

Further information can be obtained from Theresa Dillon (845) 651-5570 or Minerva Moya (845) 485-8627.