Annual Report 2020
Compañeras y Compañeros,
2020 presented unprecedented challenges for everyone, and for those of us who already face so many obstacles, the pandemic added one more for us to overcome. We feared for our families so far away, we wondered what precautions our employers were taking to protect us, our crowded living conditions heightened the risk of contracting COVID, and yet our labor was more critical than ever, ensuring the continued production of food when our own communities were facing shortages. When we learned that the government labeled us as essential workers, we wondered why we aren’t welcomed here and we live with the fear of deportation.
The presence of our small but mighty worker-led group is a symbol of hope for those in our community that helped us get by. We had to pivot from our original 2020 goals and quickly mobilize - using technology and social media to respond to urgent pandemic needs. We raised $30,000 in cash donations in a gofundme campaign to generate financial support for all of us excluded from the stimulus and for anyone adversely impacted by the pandemic. That allowed us to donate $15,000 to all members of the Alianza and provide additional financial support to five families impacted by the pandemic. Members, allies and organizations came together to collect and distribute food and supplies to our rural communities to help folks meet their needs. Our members were a vital voice in statewide and federal efforts to educate the public about how the pandemic impacted us. We testified, spoke out, published online videos and held a caravan with coalition partners to gain greater protections. We appreciate our members for sharing their testimonies and making huge strides to stay strong and active in the struggle that has helped us achieve so many victories since the Alianza formed. We want to highlight Alma Tzalain, a member of our Gabinete. She bravely published a widely distributed op-ed in the New York Times in May as a voice of farmworkers for the public to gain an understanding of the impact of the pandemic on our community.
Throughout all this, and despite not meeting in person, we continued to work on implementation of two 2019 legislative victories. The Green Light law went into effect in December 2019, but just when the community was getting ready to get their licenses, the DMVs shut down. Once they opened back up, we provided support to members to help navigate the process of getting their license and ensure that all DMVs across the state were accessible to us. The Farm Labor Fair Labor Practices Act also went into effect at the beginning of the year, so we worked hard to educate the community about their rights and how to file a complaint. Our members wrote and allies shared on our behalf 11 testimonies for the NYS Wage Board hearings in early fall, attempting to convince officials that we deserve to earn overtime after 40 - not 60 - hours. We authored an op-ed in the NY Daily News about why this is so important to our well-being.
As we look towards 2021 we are excited to share the news that we are now our own independent not-for-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. This independence simultaneously opens up a lot of new possibilities, but also will challenge us with many more responsibilities. We also look forward to expanding our work to implement the labor rights that were granted in 2019 and continuing our work to make driver’s licenses a reality for more farmworkers.
We thank all of you who have been with us from the beginning and continue to work with us. Matt Liston led some of the early pandemic-related food distribution efforts and later became our first full-time Coordinator. We are so grateful for his help during his time with us. We are also so grateful for the incredible support of the Food Chain Workers Alliance as our fiscal sponsor for the past year. With the continued presence and dedication of our community allies, we are sure we can keep achieving all that we set our minds to. Meanwhile, we will continue our dedication to producing the food that we all need to stay healthy.
“Respect for the rights of others is peace” - Benito Juarez
Cordially,
Luis Jimenez, President, on behalf of the Gabinete and members of Alianza Agricola