Farm Labor Leaders slam Bush

** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **

Contact Persons:

Amy Newell: 831-728-4922 Alan Benjamin (bilingual):
415-626-1175

WATSONVILLE, Calif. -- Leaders of the nation's main
farm labor organizations, representing immigrant farm
workers from Mexico in the United States, sent a letter
today to President George Bush expressing their
"outrage over the heavy-handed tactics" employed by the
Bush administration against the government of Mexico in
an attempt to secure its agreement with the Bush plan
for waging war on Iraq.

In their letter, Dolores Huerta, co-founder -- along
with Cesar Chavez -- of the United Farm Workers of
America; Arturo Rodriguez, president of the UFW; and
Baldemar Velasquez, president of the Farm Labor
Organizing Committee also tell Bush they oppose this
war "because you have not made your case to the
citizens of the United States or of the world that it
is necessary."

The Bush administration has announced that it will seek
a second UN vote in the UN Security Council early this
week aimed at obtaining a mandate for waging a war
against Iraq in the event Iraq does not "fully disarm
its weapons of mass destruction" by a March 17
deadline. The governments of France, Russia and China
have expressed their strong opposition to this
U.S.-British March 17 deadline and have indicated they
would veto any resolution that would result in a
military attack, calling instead for more time to allow
the UN inspectors to do their job.

Mexico and four other countries in the UN Security
Council have not expressed any indication as to how
they will vote. In recent weeks, President Fox of
Mexico has stated his government's strong opposition to
any resolution that would legitimize a U.S.-led war in
Iraq. But under intense pressure from the Bush
administration, which has sent numerous high-level
delegations to Mexico, more recent statements by
Mexican government officials have been less categoric,
giving rise to heightened concerns across Mexico's
diverse political spectrum that a "no" vote by Mexico
on the U.S.-British proposal is by no means a
certainty. Popular sentiment across Mexico is strongly
opposed to war in Iraq, with up to 80% opposing a
U.S.-led military assault.

In their March 10 letter, the farm labor leaders
chastise the Bush administration for "acting like a
bully against another sovereign nation." Their letter
quotes a high-level Mexican diplomat who told the media
that, "U.S. State Department officials actually told us
that any country that doesn't go along with the United
States 'will be paying a very heavy price'."

The labor leaders proclaim: "Our government cannot
claim to be fighting for democracy in Iraq while at the
same time demanding that the government of Mexico
support a war without the consent and against the will
of its own citizens."

Expressing a view that is gaining ground within the
U.S. trade union movement -- including within the
national leadership of the AFL-CIO, which on February
27 adopted a statement opposing Bush's unilateral war
on Iraq -- the labor leaders conclude: "We oppose this
war because you have not made your case to the citizens
of the U.S. or of the world that it is necessary. We
oppose this war it in the name of democracy and we ask
you to respect democracy and national sovereignty not
only in our country but in all other countries,
including Mexico."

The three signatories of the letter are supporters of
US Labor Against War, a committee founded in Chicago in
January by labor organizations with more than two
million members. USLAW now reports that labor
organizations representing more than one-third of all
organized workers have gone on record against war in
Iraq. USLAW recently released a declaration demanding a
peaceful resolution in Iraq that was endorsed by trade
union federations and unions from 53 countries
representing 130 million organized workers.

To contact the signatories of this letter to Bush for
their comments, call:

Dolores Huerta at: 510-663-2165

Baldemar Velasquez at: 419-243-3456

Arturo Rodriguez at: 661-725-9730


- 30 -

***********

ATTACHED LETTER TO GEORGE BUSH


March 10, 2003

George W. Bush, President United States of America 1800
Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C.

Dear President Bush:

As Latino leaders of farm labor organizations
representing immigrant workers from Mexico, their
families and retirees, we write to say that we are
outraged by the heavy-handed tactics that your
administration is employing against the government of
Mexico in an attempt to secure its agreement with your
plan for waging war on Iraq.

An Associated Press article by Dafna Linzer said that
Mexican diplomats described the visits from U.S. State
Dept. Officials as "hostile in tone" and complained
that Washington was demonstrating "little concern for
the constraints on the Mexican government, whose people
are overwhelmingly opposed to a war with Iraq." "They
actually told us," said one Mexican diplomat, "that any
country that doesn't go along with the U.S. 'will be
paying a very heavy price'."

Our members do not want their government to act like a
bully against another sovereign nation.

Our government cannot claim to be fighting for
democracy in Iraq while at the same time demanding that
the government of Mexico support a war without the
consent and against the will of its own citizens.

We oppose this war because you have not made your case
to the citizens of the U.S. or of the world that it is
necessary. We oppose it in the name of democracy and we
ask you to respect democracy and national sovereignty
not only in our country but in all other countries,
including Mexico.

Sincerely,

Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder (with Cesar Chavez), United
Farm Workers of America (AFL-CIO)

Arturo Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers of
America (AFL-CIO)

Baldemar Velasquez, President, Farm Labor Organizing
Committee (FLOC) (AFL-CIO)


cc: Vicente Fox, President Republic of Mexico