Bustamante joins hundreds of farm workers from across state planning all-out drive in recall election

Hundreds of United Farm Workers members and supporters from across California gather Sunday for a one-day union political convocation to plan their drive against the recall of Gov. Gray Davis and for the candidacy of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. The lieutenant governor speaks to the session at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday before heading to a mass rally, also at the Fresno Convention Center, where he will be joined by the farm workers.

UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez will preside at Sunday’s meeting where representatives will decide how many volunteers and how much resources the Cesar Chavez-founded union will put into the anti-recall, pro-Bustamante effort. Farm worker leaders traveling to Fresno hail from companies under UFW contract as well as ranches where farm workers are organizing and bargaining for agreements. They range from Napa and Sonoma counties in the north to Santa Clara County, the Central Coast and Central Valley plus Ventura, Riverside and Imperial counties.

After breaking for the 12 noon Bustamante rally, farm workers from different parts of California will gather in separate meetings to set strategy for getting out the vote in their own regions.

Who: Hundreds of farm workers from throughout California, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez.

What: One-day UFW political convocation to draw up plans for the last four weeks of the recall campaign.

When: 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, 2003 for Lt. Gov. Bustamante’s address; 12 noon rally; 2 p.m. break-out meetings by region.

Where: Exhibit Hall South Wine Room (2nd floor), Fresno Convention Center, Ventura & “M” St., Fresno.

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