Bill Against Wage Theft Advances in California – Wage theft is considered an epidemic in California, with the lowest-paid workers losing more than one billion dollars a year in Los Angeles alone. In view of this, the state Senate Judicial Committee heard testimony from workers and businessmen and passed the bill SB 588, introduced by senate president Kevin de León, to confront dishonest businesses that steal wages from their employees and undermine owners of companies who do respect the law. The measure still has a long path before becoming law, but it has gained impulse with the support of this first legislative forum. Marco Vinicio González has the story.
Farmworkers in Washington seek better working conditions – A group of farm workers that harvest strawberries, blueberries and blackberries on Sakuma Farms in Washington State are fighting for better working conditions. One of their demands is that the business not hire guest workers from outside the country through the H2A visa program. With more details, here’s our correspondent José Luis Buen Abad. This story is part of our series “Voy Contratado: Migrant Rights”.
Historic Chicano Music Group Celebrates More than 40 Years of Protest Song in San Diego’s Chicano Park – The protests and demonstrations of the farm worker movement under César Chávez were always accompanied by music. The Rondalla Amerindia was one of the first groups that put its talent at the service of this movement. This week, members of the legendary music group met again in an act of celebration of the 45th anniversary of Chicano Park in San Diego, a piece of land that the neighbors won in an epic battle and which is now a gallery of folk art. Rubén Tapia reports. This feature story is part of our series Raíces: Los Maestros. Artists Passing their Art on to the Next Generation.
