(Información en español abajo)
In October 2015, the same day political supporters came together for a fundraiser on NC State Senator Brent Jackson’s farm, Jackson’s son, Rodney, fired a migrant farmworker from Mexico named Jose because he couldn’t pay $2,400 for a gas pump piece that broke during a workplace accident. Jackson fired Jose and told him he had 30 minutes to leave the farm or the police would be called. Suddenly without a job or a place to live, Jose was forced to wait on the side of the road until the owner of a nearby Mexican store came to pick him up and assist him with purchasing a plane ticket back to Mexico. That night, he slept in the airport and flew back to Mexico the next day.
This is not the only case of retaliation for voicing complaints at Jackson Farms. Six other employees have filed legal claims, along with Jose, over wages not paid to them in the 2015 season. Farm employees called many of the workers to try to scare them into dropping the lawsuit.
Now, all seven workers are being blacklisted and denied employment for the 2016 season. This type of retaliation sets a clear example for other workers on the farm: complain and you will lose your job.
Click here to send a message to Senator Jackson and the tobacco companies that we won’t stand for this type of unfair treatment of workers. Reinstate the workers now, and guarantee freedom of association for all farmworkers!
We will also deliver a copy of your letter to six major tobacco companies that purchase tobacco from NC.
This is what happens when workers aren’t free to organize and negotiate fair terms of employment, and when there is no safe grievance mechanism for workers to voice complaints. This is what it looks like when employers use fear to keep workers silent, even when their wages are being stolen or they’re forced to work in unsafe conditions. And this is exactly why tobacco companies must work with FLOC to ensure that freedom of association is protected on every tobacco farm, and that all workers can safely speak out against injustice.
Thanks for your support! After you take action, help us by sharing the link with your family and friends and encouraging them to take action as well.
You can also tweet a message to Senator Jackson at his Twitter handle: @SenBrentJackson. Sample message: “@SenBrentJackson reinstate the 7 workers you blacklisted and pay them their wages owed now!”
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Trabajadores del campo están castigados por defender sus derechos: Dile a Senador Jackson y las tabacaleras que no permitiremos represalias!
Siete trabajadores del campo están castigados en el rancho del Senador de Carolina del Norte Brent Jackson por denunciar violaciones del salario y una despedida injusta de un trabajador.
Mande un correo electrónico al rancho y avíseles que este tipo de represalia no es aceptable, y que él debe de volver a emplear los trabajadores y pagarles lo les debe inmediatamente. Despues, FLOC y sus aliados van a presentar esta carta con su firma a las seis compañias de tabaco que compran su tabaco en Carolina del Norte, exigiendoles que firmen un acuerdo con FLOC que garantice la libertad de asociación a todos los trabajadores del tabaco.
Haga “click” aqui para mandar el correo electrónico.