Monthly Newsletter - September 2024
Workers' Rights Conference
By Yesica Guzman Rodriguez, Programs Coordinator for the Labor Justice program in Monterey County
Salinas, CA - On September 21, CBDIO and allies hosted a Workers' Rights Conference at Hartnell College in Salinas, CA. The conference consisted of workshops with information on labor rights, deferred action for farmworkers, and more. At the close of the conference, a listening session was held with different county and district representatives in attendance. Members of the Mixteco, Chatino, and Triqui communities gave testimony of the injustices they have suffered as farmworkers. The goal was to create consciousness among elected officials of the current working conditions and hope that they would join workers in advocating to improve better working conditions for farmworkers. This listening session was just the beginning of the conversation to advocate for change in Monterey and neighboring counties for the farmworker community.
This conference was a family event, with childcare provided to allow parents’ full participation. Interpretation was also provided in Mixteco and Triqui. To prevent transportation from being a deterrent for the community of Greenfield to attend, CBDIO provided a bus to and from the location. The Greenfield staff helped coordinate so that families could arrive at the event. These efforts are part of CBDIO’s commitment to make our events accessible to the communities we serve.
This conference was organized through CBDIO’s co-regional lead role in the California Worker Outreach Project (CWOP 4.0) in collaboration with other allied organizations.
Indigenous Farmworkers Continue the Fight Against Ongoing Wage Theft
Fresno, CA – In September, the Worker Power Team achieved another major milestone by helping Indigenous farmworkers from California’s Central Valley recover a total of $18,000 in unpaid wages. One case, initially received in December 2023, involved unpaid overtime and was recently resolved, resulting in an agreement that allowed the worker to recover $6,000. In another case, six workers faced withheld wages, but after sustained advocacy, four of them successfully recovered their earnings, with a total of $12,000 returned to them. This achievement marks an essential victory, as it highlights the team’s commitment to supporting workers and empowering workers to stand up for their rights to stop injustices from happening over and over again.
Mixteco and Chatino communities present in the approval of rent stabilization in the City of Salinas
By Maricela Ramírez, Program Coordinator for Economic Justice and Estela Hernández, Salinas Programs Manager
Salinas, CA - On September 24, 2024, Indigenous communities came together with CBDIO and other organizations, part of a Coalition to make history in the city of Salinas CA. Salinas has a large majority of families who are farm workers who get paid a minimum wage. For a long time, landlords and owners have been taking advantage of the communities by raising rent without restrictions. On this day, community members were present and raised their concerns about rent at the Salinas City Council. More than 40 participants from the Mixteco/Chatino communities, their children and university students were present to give their testimonies where they recounted their experiences as tenants and how landlords and homeowners do not respect their rights. Community members in Salinas asked that the three tenant protection ordinances under agenda item #24-540 - (1) Rent Stabilization Ordinance, (2) Tenant Protection and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance, (3) Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance) - be voted in favor to prevent further tenant abuse and unrestricted rent increases.
A CSUMB student shared a powerful testimony. As a rental tenant, rent was not affordable for his parents and they had to make the difficult decision to return to Oaxaca, Mexico because they could not keep paying. After a long night of testimonies from the community, the city council approved and voted in favor of the three ordinances. Thanks to the testimonies and the efforts made by the allied organizations, the ordinances were finally approved, ultimately protecting many community members affected by unfair evictions, rent increases, and harassment. These new Salinas ordinances will go into effect January 2025.
Notably, the rent stabilization ordinance is limited by the state law Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995 and applies primarily to multi-family housing built before February 1, 1995 (single-family homes, condos or any housing built after Feb. 1, 1995 are exempt under the state law). Costa-Hawkins is up for repeal under Proposition 33 in November’s elections. If repealed, these local ordinance protections would apply more broadly.
For more media coverage on the passage of these tenant protection ordinances, read more at:
Statewide Reach
Updates
Join Us for #GivingTuesday – the Global Day of Giving on December 3, 2024!
On December 3, 2024, people all around the world are coming together to tap into the power of human connection and strengthen communities and change our world.
Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO) will be participating in #GivingTuesday and we need your help! As a growing movement of Indigenous leaders, we organize to make sure our community is ready to take action in our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and across California to build a better future for our families.
By joining the GivingTuesday movement, you’re proving that generosity can bring the whole world together.
Here is how you can get ready to give:
Mark your calendar Join CBDIO for #GivingTuesday2024!
Give. On December 3, go to https://www.centrobinacional.org/donate and give.
Spread the word. Encourage your friends and family to join you in creating real impact on December 3 by sharing what our mission means to you and why you support our organization. Make sure to use the hashtag #GivingTuesday and tag us so we can share!
Let’s rally together to build stronger communities.
Learn more at www.centrobinacional.org
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