Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO

GET INVOLVED

With The FLOC Movement !

There are many creative and fun ways to help raise resources for FLOC. Dick Wiesenhahn (teeing off) of the Cincinnati Support Committee initiated the FLOC Golf Scramble in 1980, and has continued the event annually for over 26 years, raising $3,000-$5,000 each time. Other groups in the Midwest and North Carolina have held BBQs, folk and jazz concerts, and other events to support FLOC.

In this section:

• Why We Need Your Support
• Keep Informed
• We Need Volunteers
• Organize Your Community
• Help Raise Funds for the FLOC Movement

Why We Need Your Support

The Farm Labor Organizing Committee, is a union representing people who do some of the most important work in America - migrant farm workers who pick the food we eat. Founded in 1976 in Ohio, FLOC fights for the rights of migrant farm workers. Past FLOC victories include:

• Winning first multiparty contracts in US labor history between multinational corporations, their subcontracted farmers, and farm workers.
• Winning multiparty labor contracts for H2A "guest workers" in North Carolina.
• Creating an independent labor board called the Dunlop Commission to handle labor disputes between farm workers, farmers, and food companies.
• Building a union base among a very transient population with over 10,000 members in Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Texas, and Mexico.
• Co-founding the National Coalition for Dignity and Amnesty of Undocumented Workers to fight for the legalization of undocumented immigrants.

In addition to farm-worker labor rights, we are committed to international worker solidarity, human rights, environmental justice, sustainable agriculture, immigrant rights, indigenous cultural dignity, and strong Black-Latino relations in the US.

We have taken important stands:

• Fighting for justice and labor rights for domestic, migrant, and immigrant workers
• Promoting legislative alternatives to current immigration policy
• Confronting racism, discrimination, environmental injustices, and police brutality against people of color
• Changing the social and economic structures of society to promote justice and equality
  including corporate agriculture

FLOC is a very active union always involved in organizing and justice campaigns. But we are also a poor and understaffed organization, stretched very thin for all the things we need to do. Over the years, it has always been supporters like you who have made a significant difference in our successes for justice. Many of you have already been active in supporting FLOC, and there are many ways you can contribute to ongoing efforts.

Keep Informed

Building a popular movement for justice requires being informed about the issues. This website provides some basic information on the FLOC movement, and the FLOC listserv provides current information and regular updates. If you are not already on the FLOC listserv, can keep up with new developments by going to:

Listserv SignUp (opens new browser page)

Also, pass the word! As you become more informed, help inform others, so we can continue broadening the movement and gain strength for more victories.

We Need Volunteers

Our small staff is always overloaded, and you can help extend the things we need to do. Over the years, volunteers have helped us in many ways, including helping with administrative work in the offices and our training programs.

What does it take to volunteer? Here are some characteristics that can help make the FLOC movement a success:

• Commitment to social and economic injustice, to ending racism and discrimination, and to building the movement
• Ability to work well both independently and in group settings
• Eagerness to listen, take directives, learn, act, and make decisions
• A sense of responsibility
• Willingness to dedicate some to time to the cause
• Desire to be transformed

Some of the skills we need include:

• Clerical (word processing, data entry, etc.)
• Technology (databases, publishing software, web and listservs, etc.)
• Translation and interpreting (particularly English-Spanish and Spanish-English)
  Translation needs include documents, helping members deal with service agencies, supporting medical, dental, and legal clinics, etc.
• Writing (progress reports, publicity materials, explanatory materials on migrant and immigrant worker issues, etc.)
• Press (building relations with reporters, producing materials for press packets, etc.)
• Fundraising (grants, donor campaigns, etc.)
• Education and training curriculums, materials, and techniques
  This includes programs to train farmworkers and immigrants on their rights, public education about FLOC and the Immigrant Rights Movement, etc.
• Health care with our medical and dental clinics
• Research on migrant and immigrant worker issues
• Driving members to meetings, training sessions, etc.
• Other skills. You may have particular skills that you see can be used to further our efforts. Let us know!

We need volunteers to help in our locations, particularly in Ohio, North Carolina, and Mexico. To volunteer, please contact us at:

Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO
ATTN: Beatriz Maya
1221 Broadway Street
Toledo, Ohio 43609
419-243-3456x3

Organize Your Own Community

You can also organize your own community in support of the FLOC movement. To learn more, go to:

FLOC Supporters

Help Raise Funds for the FLOC Movement

The FLOC movement has limited resources, and is always in need of funds to enable the many things we want to achieve. Our membership resources are based on an underpaid and marginalized group of agricultural and immigrant workers. We need you support! To learn more about how you can help us raise the resources to fight for justice, go to:

Fundraising for FLOC

Thank You!

Thank you for your support! It has always been the commitments and efforts of our supporters that have made our victories possible. As we continue the struggle for justice, we know we can count on you as face new challenges and victories together.

© FLOC 2008