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"The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003" September 23, 2003 The United Farm Workers, together with representatives of the nation’s major agricultural employers and members of the Democratic and Republican parties, announced an historic bipartisan compromise on Sept. 23rd regarding immigration and labor reforms for farm workers. The compromise bill, titled The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003 ("AgJOBS") has been introduced in the Senate as S.645 and in the house as HR3142. The legislation will (1) create an "earned legalization" program enabling undocumented farm workers to earn permanent legal status if they have been working in the US and continue to work in agriculture for a period of time; and (2) reform the existing agricultural guest worker program (H-2A temporary foreign agricultural worker program). Congressional representatives working on the compromise included Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT), and Senators Larry Craig (R-ID) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA). If we pass this bill, said Senator Kennedy, "it will be the most important piece of social justice legislation to come out of Congress this year". Virginia Nesmith of the National Farm Worker Ministry, St. Louis, MO, was present at the press conference, which she said "felt historic, with the growers and farm workers, Democrats and Republicans alike all pushing the same bill." She added: "We have all witnessed the fear and vulnerability expressed by farm workers and the abuse in the fields that accompanies that. The opportunity to earn legal status is critical to farm workers’ hope for better wages and working conditions." A summary of the compromise and chronology of its achievement is available on the United Farm Worker web site, www.ufw.org. The farm workers hope to see this legislation move through the Senate first and then the House without amendment before the close of this year’s session. ------------------------------------- _ NCRLC recognized for farm labor advocacy