Ufw Foundation

“No review was or will be conducted.”

“The people relations department has a routine employee evaluation process it uses for job performance and salary considerations that also includes t he monitoring of conflict of interest issues. Additionally, the board must approve any agreements that may present any conflict of interest, regardl ess of the amount”

“An analysis was performed last year of the entire executive team's salary which resulted in board approval for wage increases. The organization purc hased independent non-profit compensation reports and interviewed funders for feedback.”

“All documents required to be disclosed is done so upon request.”

“Emergency relief services: ufw foundation provides emergency assistance and relief to farm worker and low-income immigrant communities in need in their native language and in a culturally familiar context. In the aftermath of the covid (2022-23) pandemic onset and in the intervening years where the need was the greatest, ufw foundation provided the following assistance: usda farm and food worker relief program, (ffwr) the ufw foundation and its nine subrecipients began implementation of this covid-19 relief program for farm workers across the country and in three u.s. Territories. -relief payments were processed across 46 states, representing 405 counties and 1,256 cities. -82,255 relief payments of 600 each were distributed in the continental united states. -126 relief payments of 600 each were distributed in the territories, (guam, american samoa and the northern mariana islands). Storm assistance for undocumented immigrants, (sai) ufw foundation was awarded funding from the state of california in response to a series of storms across california in late 2022 through april 2023. This grant provided storm recovery services to provide disaster relief case management and direct assistance due to immigration status. The grant targeted the counties of ventura, tulare and kern. In 2023: -distributed 3,217,000 in relief funds with 1,469 applications approved. -assisted 2,217 household members directly, including 1,565 adults and 652 children.”

“Community advancement and outreach services are comprised of direct services that address immediate needs and opportunities among farm worker populations and means for improving lives and well-being. Services are designed to support in the immediate and intermediate term, strengthen, and empower. Services provided: -legal immigration services; -education and outreach sessions and workshops legal immigration services - providing legal immigration services centers is at the origins of this organization's establishment. We began providing immigration legal services in 2008 and have been approved and accredited to provide these services by the office of legal assistance programs since 2009. Today, legal immigration services range from daca renewals, to naturalization, to adjustment, as well as political asylum, deportation defense/relief, vawa petitions, u visas and special immigrant juvenile visas (sijc) petitions. Our legal immigration services encompass a broad range of legal protections available to farm workers and immigrant workers and their family members. Ufw foundation has become one of the largest providers of immigration legal services in rural california. Key programming accomplishments: education/outreach-offered information and workshops to respond to legal, labor, health, and related housing and social service needs. The following services were completed in 2023: legal immigration services: legal consultations = 1818 daca renewal = 768 daca filing fee assistance = 223,245 total savings for applicants naturalization = 760 naturalization filing fee assistance = 296,735 total savings for applicants permanent resident renewal = 27 advance parole = 161 family petitions = 116 removal defense cases = 83 (of which 72 cases are ongoing unaccompanied minor cases) asylum = 5 special immigrant juvenile status = 70 u visa = 99 vawa = 21 adjustment of status = 150 consular processing = 64 inadmissibility waiver = 13 petition to remove conditions = 8 parole in place = 2”

“Systemic change: systemic change encompasses the organization's efforts to make meaningful progress toward social justice. Our systemic change department seeks to improve the lives of farm workers and low-income immigrant workers through legislative advocacy, community outreach and education, organizing campaigns, and leadership development efforts that help actualize just and equitable practices, policies, and institutions. Farm worker legalization/immigration reform: this crucial work is ongoing. In 2023, our organizers engaged farm workers and their families to share their stories with the public and with policymakers to ensure that the legalization of farm workers remained a visible and priority topic. The organization strengthened existing collaborations and engaged new ones to implement effective civic actions and increased the well- being of immigrant and farm worker communities. We will continue to fight for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented farm workers and their families. Workers rights advocacy: a core area in our advocacy efforts is related to labor rights - especially in those states that are lacking in protections for farm workers. Some of the areas we have focused on and will continue to act on are; h-2a abuses and the proposed dol/dhs h-2a rules that would enhance transparency concerning job opportunities, labor recruitment, agricultural worker protections, transportation and safety requirements, wage rates, and numerous other procedures that would serve in the interest of h-2a workers. In the state of georgia, senator jon ossoff, introduced a bill to lower farm worker wages (s.874). S.874, also known as the farm operations support act. This would reduce the adverse effect wage rate and force farm workers to accept wages below market rate as they try to put food on their own families tables. A wage reduction would be devastating for farm workers, who are among our nations poorest workers. The trump administration tried to freeze wages but we were successful to block the order through litigation, it is our goal to do the same in georgia. Early in 2023, the department of homeland security (dhs) announced guidance outlining a new process through which immigrant workers may be granted prosecutorial discretion, in the form of deferred action, if they are a victim of, or witness to, labor exploitation under investigation by a federal or state labor agency and the labor agency supports the request. This new dhs guidance is a strong tool to combat the employer abuse that undocumented farm workers endure. Given this opportunity, the ufw foundation is fortifying efforts in the pacific northwest region of washington state, in california, and other states. Extensive outreach efforts are crucial to inform workers of their rights, screen for eligibility, and support workers through the filing process and any retaliatory consequences meant to stifle their complaints. The ufw foundation has advocated for sb 831, a state bill which passed in september 2023 and was signed by california governor gavin newsom in october 2023. This bill allowed the governor to enter into negotiations with the federal government over a parole program that would offer california's undocumented farm workers protection from deportation and the ability to obtain work authorization. While sb 831 does not create the parole program or a legal status for california's undocumented farm workforce, it authorizes the governor to enter into conversations with the federal administration to expand parole protections. The ufw foundation will monitor further developments and has called for the administration to use its parole authority in the absence of congress passing immigration reform with a path to citizenship. Outreach, education, and organizing: our grassroots approach toward organizing is carried out by dedicated teams that mobilize the communities we serve both on the ground and via digital engagement focused on labor rights, worksite protections, a”

“Data and research: the data and research team is generating data and analysis that is: -informing farm worker practices and policies in the context of climate change; -contributing farm worker experiences and recommendations on addressing climate change; -building partnerships with academia and other non-governmental organizations to advance just and equitable solutions and innovations related to farm workers; -documenting and mapping our reach and impact. Key data and research team accomplishments include: climate change survey: climate change significantly impacted california in early 2023 with a series of historic storms that caused damage to not only farm workers and their homes but also their ability to work. These storms brought flooding, heavy rain, power outages, and landslides. Storm flooding began in january, hitting ventura county and over the next three months, the continued torrents of rain resulted in widespread flooding of thousands of acres of farmland. In response to the recent floods and extreme weather in california rural communities, the ufw foundation conducted a survey to assess the impact on farm workers. The report was presented to key state officials from calosha, cdss, oes, along with a ca flood map that provided detailed information on those areas impacted the most by the storms. Heat stress research: the data team worked with a university of michigan intern to conduct heat stress research that span into the spring of 2024. This heat governance research asked: are ongoing policy debates about rising heat addressing farmworker realities? The overall goal of this research is to understand how heat (and the projected rising temperatures) is being debated in the policy arena, and how these ongoing debates impact laborers in the united states. There will be three main objectives of this research: -how are policymakers making decisions regarding climate change and rising heat? -how are farm workers experiencing heat? What are their concerns about rising temperatures? -are ongoing policy debates addressing farm worker concerns and needs?”