WHEREAS, the League of United Latin American Citizens supports the development of new opportunities for training, education, civil rights, employment, housing, economic development and welfare of all Hispanic citizens of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Arizona Farmworker LULAC Council members, hereby petition both the National LULAC Assembly to support the restoration of funding and reauthorization of the National Farmworker Jobs Program, known as Workforce Investment 167. This is the only job training program that serves primarily Hispanic Americans.

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Labor's 2003 budget eliminates this nationally administered farmworker job program from $81,000,000.00 to zero.

WHEREAS, in Arizona the job training, housing technical assistance, and supportive services will be cut off, affecting 100,000 farmworkers being served by PPEP, Inc. On a national level, 53 other primarily Hispanic job training organizations' services will be cut off to 5.1 million farmworkers.

WHEREAS, the Homeland Security stated the priority is to "secure the nation's food supply", and at the same time U.S. DOL is eliminating training to the labor force that toils the fields.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT, (1) the National Farmworker Jobs Programs be restored to the $160,000,000 to meet the new challenges of homeland security, (2) the Bush Administration instruct the US Department of Labor to include all aspects of the Workforce 167 program in its reauthorization, (3) the Secretary of Labor reactivates the National Farmworker Advisory Council, (4) the National Farmworker Jobs Program remain nationally administered, and (5) a meeting be set up with President Bush to address this critical issue.

Submitted by:
Mary L. Fimbres, Arizona State Director

Approved this 29th day of June, 2002.

Hector M. Flores
LULAC National President