Farmworker scholarships

Rural and Migrant Ministry works for the creation of a just rural New York State by helping farmworkers and rural workers. They have announced that the Western Union Foundation is offering a new initiative for migrants, immigrants and their families, called the Family Scholarship Program is a new initiative for migrants, immigrants and their families.

The Family Scholarship Program is intended to help two members of the same family move up the economic development ladder through education. Scholarships may be used for tuition for college/university education language acquisition classes, technical/skill training, and/or financial literacy. For example, one family member may request assistance to attend college and the other family member may request assistance to attend English as a Second Language (ESL) course.

Eligibility
* All applicants must be age 18 or older.
* Country of origin for at least one of the applicants must be outside the United States.
* Application must include educational providers for primary and secondary award recipients (must be two amily members).
* Scholarships may be used for tuition for college/university education language acquisition classes, technical/skill training, and/or financial literacy.
* Scholarships will only be made to nonprofit accredited higher education institutions and nonprofit training/educational providers.
* Western Union employees, Western Union agents and dependents are not eligible to apply for these scholarships.

Criteria
The following criteria will be used to review applications:
* Families that have overcome barriers to pursue their educational goals
* Families that are involved in their communities
* Personal educational goals
* Plans to attain goals
* Plans for utilizing the scholarship

Scholarship Amounts
Recipients are eligible to receive scholarships in amounts of $1,000-$5,000 per family. (For example, one scholarship recipient may receive $1,500 for an ESL course and the other recipient $3,500 for tuition at a university).

Process
Recipients are determined in a selection process independently managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE), an international non-profit educational exchange organization.
All scholarship awards will be paid directly to the educational providers. No payments will be made to individuals.

To Apply
Please visit the Western Union Foundation Family Scholarship page to apply:
http://corporate.westernunion.com/scholarship.html

Those without Internet access can call IIE at (303) 837-0788 to request an application.

IIE will send a confirmation via e-mail if you have provided a valid e-mail address. If you do not have a valid email address confirmation will be sent by U.S. mail.

Please be advised that due to the volume of application submission activity, IIE staff cannot verify receipt of applications and supporting documentation via telephone inquiry.

Timeline
Feb. 5, 2010 is the winter application due date.

Contact information
For award program-related questions, please contact the administering organization, Institute of International Education (IIE) by phone, fax, or e-mail at:
Institute of International Education, 475 17th Street, Suite 800, Denver, CO 80202 or by phone at (303) 837-0788, fax: (303) 837-1409 or e-mail, wufamily@iie.org.

Justice for Farmworkers

Across New York During the Month of October
People from Many Different Backgrounds Will Gather for...
A Statewide Vigil
for Farmworker Human Rights

In the 1930s . . . in the midst of the Jim Crow era . . . farmworkers were excluded under New York Labor Law from basic human rights, including a day of rest, overtime pay and protection while bargaining collectively. Now, in 2009, the New York State Senate can right this wrong, and all of New York can feel the freedom of the yoke of injustice being removed.

Join Us!

Albany area
Thursday, Oct. 15
5:30-6:30 p.m. (Outside the headquarters of the New York State Farm Bureau, 159 Wolf Rd. in Colonie)

Middletown
Friday, Oct 16
6 p.m. (United Presbyterian Church, 50 East Main St., former Webb Horton Church)

Millbrook
Friday, Oct. 16
6 p.m. (Grace Episcopal Church, 3328 Franklin Ave.)

New York City
Saturday, Oct. 17
7 p.m. (Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 316 E 88th St.)

Monticello
Sunday, Oct. 18
6 p.m. (St. John's Episcopal Church, 15 St John St.)

White Plains
Monday, Oct 19
7 p.m. (St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, 82 Prospect St.)

Ithaca
Monday, Oct. 19
5 p.m. (First Baptist Church, Dewitt Park)

Long Island
TBD (Setauket)
For further information call the Rev. Noelle Damico (631) 371-9877.

Rochester
Wednesday, Oct. 21
7 p.m. (St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, 15 St Mary's Place)

JUSTICE FOR FARMORKERS: THE TIME IS NOW!

For more information, call Rural & Migrant Ministry at (845) 485-8627
or go to www.justiceforfarmworkers.org.

Justice for Farmworkers

We received the following from the Labor-Religion Coalition. It is a statement by Rural and Migrant Ministry, on behalf of the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign:

The Senate rules reforms hold great promise for action on long-pending, important human and civil rights issues that-despite widespread support-have never been brought to the Senate floor for a debate and vote. With massive popular support and a bipartisan group of 28 sponsors from all across New York, the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act is Exhibit A in this regard.

The Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act would remove the labor law exclusions that for decades have denied farmworkers the same rights as other workers. Results of a statewide poll conducted last month show that New Yorkers overwhelmingly support extending overtime (79%), day of rest (91%), collective bargaining (69%, with only 17% opposed), and disability insurance (85%) protections to farmworkers. Support was consistent across upstate and downstate regions.

In a letter dated June 21 asking Governor Paterson to include farmworker rights on the special session agenda, former farmworker and longtime leader in the Justice for Farmworkers Campaign Librada Paz wrote, "The Justice for Farmworkers Campaign has had many years of marching, praying, hoping, and lobbying. Farmworkers should not have to wait any longer. This year we must harvest all of our efforts." The Governor responded by including the equal rights bill on his special session proclamation.

In a letter to the Senate, Mayor Bloomberg's Director of Legislative Affairs, Michelle Goldstein, writes, "This Act would go a long way towards correcting an injustice that has left farm workers without the basic protections that are taken for granted by other workers...For too long farm workers have labored with only minimal protections...It is our hope that you will act quickly to ensure the passage of this important and overdue legislation."

The entire statement is available here. We urge you to contact your legislators. Just type your Zip Code into the box on the right and you will receive the contact information for your elected officials (not just Congress).

Fairness for Farmworkers

From the New York State Catholic Conference:

The Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act (A1867, s.2247) would eliminate exemptions in New York’s labor, public health and workers compensation laws that currently prevent farmworkers from accessing rights and privileges available to other workers in N.Y. State. The New York State Catholic Conference supports the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act, and strongly urges enactment of this legislation.

Farmworkers are excluded from most of the laws that establish worker protections, including overtime pay, employer contributions to the unemployment and workers’ compensation funds, and public health protections including sanitation and housing standards. In addition to ending these exclusions, this bill would require that farmworkers be given a 24-hour day of rest in every calendar week which, whenever possible, would coincide with the laborer’s traditional day for religious worship.

There is no legitimate reason for treating farmworkers inequitably. They should be afforded the same rights, protections and benefits that other workers in New York State receive. By recognizing the rights of farmworkers and the unique contributions of agriculture, New York can develop policies which bring economic fairness, safety, and dignity to the production of agricultural goods from which we all benefit.

Please contact your state legislators today and ask them to pass this legislation.