12 noon Monday in Bakersfield
After second farm worker dies from heat, UFW calls
on governor and lawmakers for emergency action
Following the death of a second Kern County farm worker in less than a year from exposure to extreme heat, United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez on Monday will join area farm workers in demanding Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issue an emergency regulation to prevent further tragedies. He will also urge legislators to pass a union-sponsored heat illness prevention bill now in the state Senate.
Salud Zamudio Rodriguez, 42, was stricken Wednesday, July 13 while working in a bell pepper field near Arvin. He died a short time later at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield. It was 105 degrees that day. Giumarra vineyards grape picker Asuncion Valdivia, 53, died from the heat on July 28, 2004.
The National Weather Service issued hazardous weather outlooks for much of the state, including the Central Valley, this week and last. The service warns temperatures this hot can produce sunstroke or heat exhaustion with prolonged outdoor exposure or physical activity. It advises those needing to venture outside to plan activities for early or late in the day.
The UFW’s’ Rodriguez will call on the governor for a regulation similar to AB 805, by Assemblymember Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park). The UFW-backed bill would require the state to adopt standards calling on growers to prevent, recognize and provide for immediate and appropriate medical treatment of heat illness suffered by workers. It would also mandate access to shaded rest areas, if feasible, and adequate hourly rest breaks during heat waves and in other conditions when the risk of heat illness is high. Foremen and supervisors would be trained in spotting heat illness, providing first aid and summoning emergency medical care.
After Valdivia’s death, the UFW’s Rodriguez sent letters to major grape growers calling on them to voluntarily take immediate steps to protect their workers from extreme heat, including training on emergency procedures. When his pleas went unanswered, the UFW turned to AB 805.
Who: UFW President Arturo Rodriguez and local farm workers.
What: Calling on Gov. Schwarzenegger to issue an emergency regulation to prevent further heat-related deaths and illnesses after the second Kern County farm worker in a year died from the heat.
When: 12 noon, Monday, July 18, 2005Where: Outside Kern County Courthouse, 1415 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield.
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