BernieBuzz update from @SenSanders

Tell Bernie: What issues interest you most? Sen. Bernie Sanders took his fight for progressive politics to South Carolina, North Carolina and Minnesota over the weekend. In Charleston, S.C., on Friday, Bernie spoke to a packed meeting at the College of Charleston about the high cost of a college education, the need for a national health care system and how income and wealth inequality are moving our country to an oligarchic form of government. That evening, Bernie spoke to another large Charleston crowd at the Longshoreman's union hall. He focused on the need for a massive federal jobs program to address the country’s jobs crisis and called for a significant increase in the minimum wage -- an issue expected to come up for a Senate vote this week. On Saturday, in Charlotte, N. C., Bernie met with dozens of fast-food workers from throughout the South who are fighting for increased wages and better working conditions. Bernie also addressed a large gathering of students and faculty at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C. The meeting included student presentations on college affordability, gay rights, the environment and women's rights. On Sunday, Bernie traveled north to Minneapolis, Minn., where he joined Rep. Keith Ellison, co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, for a well-attended meeting at the SEIU Hall. Among a range of issues, Bernie addressed the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, the need for a constitutional amendment to overturn that decision and for the public funding of elections. Read more in the N.C. State Technician Read more in the Charleston City Paper Listen to the Slate interview Share this Bernie Buzz Get Bernie Buzz Updates Receive updates on breaking news. Tell Bernie what subjects interest you. Change Delivery Preferences If you wish to stop receiving email from Sen. Sanders, click here. If you wish to change your delivery preferences, click here.

Working conditions of melon pickers are an outrage ~ @UFWupdates

Should anyone have to go through this? The conditions under which many melon pickers in this country work stink. Sometimes literally. Can you help? Azucena Ordorica has had five years’ experience picking melons in California. Her descriptions of the restrooms near the fields where she has worked are stomach-turning: “The bathrooms were always very dirty,” she says. “When I would open the door, a horrendous smell along with a swarm of flies would come out. The flies were flying and landing all over my body,” she says. “It was horrible.” And that’s not the worst of it. According to melon harvester Brenda A. Ruiz, “On occasions bathrooms are not provided.” Brenda also says that “The water that is provided to drink is hot and dirty.” And the bosses find creative ways to take the workers’ meager wages away from them. Brenda reports that she and her co-workers are required to carpool with their supervisors — at a cost of $15 per day! Women workers endure special threats and humiliations. Azucena had a particularly traumatic experience with sexual harassment. “On the first day of employment, a supervisor once told me if I had sex with him twice a week, he would make sure I had work for the entire season,” she says. “Since I refused, I was fired.” People should NOT be subjected to such abuses to support themselves and their families. Cantaloupes and other melon crops bring hundreds of millions of dollars of profit every year to U.S. growers. They can afford to pay their workers better and to ensure that their employees work in safe, sanitary conditions. We know it is possible because one exceptional company, Perez Packing Inc. of Firebaugh, California, is working with the UFW to make it happen. We’re currently negotiating with them to give their workers the kind of union contract every farm worker deserves.  By sending your contribution today, you’ll allow us to organize at the other melon companies with these horrible abuses. Every donation, regardless of the amount, makes a difference and is greatly appreciated. https://secure.ufw.org/melons

The dissenting opinion in McCutcheon v FEC #oligarchy

Here is a link to the dissenting opinion in McCutcheon v. FEC, which was of course the correct decision.

Democracy vs. Oligarchy ~ @SenSanders

TAKE THE POLL: Do you support public financing of campaigns? In his 1943 painting "Freedom of Speech," Norman Rockwell illustrated American democracy in action by depicting a man speaking up at a town meeting. A framed poster of Rockwell's painting hangs proudly on a wall in my Senate office in Burlington, Vt. Since 1990, when I was first elected to Congress, I have held hundreds of town meetings in almost every community in Vermont. Just this past Sunday I held a town meeting in Middlebury, Vt., with a video connection to meetings in three other towns. At these town meetings I listen to what my constituents have to say, answer questions and give a rundown of what I'm working on and what's going on in Washington. This process -- an elected official meeting with ordinary citizens -- is called "democracy." Ironically, at the same time as I was holding town meetings in Vermont, a handful of prospective 2016 Republican presidential candidates (Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Chris Christie and Scott Walker) trekked to Las Vegas to audition for the support of Sheldon Adelson, the multibillionaire casino tycoon who spent at least $93 million underwriting conservative candidates in the last election cycle. Those candidates were in Las Vegas for the sole purpose of attempting to win hundreds of millions from him for their presidential campaigns. Continue reading at The Huffington Post Share this Bernie Buzz Get Bernie Buzz Updates Receive updates on breaking news. Tell Bernie what subjects interest you.

Cesar Chavez movie opening weekend ~ @UFWupdates

Cesar Chavez movie opening weekend:  What you can do. Invite your friends and family to see Cesar Chavez, the film, with you. Click here for a simple "how to" toolkit & have your viewing get-together listed on our opening weekend online calendar of events. Films are judged by how well they do the very first weekend they're released at the box office. Let's help guarantee that Cesar Chavez stays on the big screen and plays in more locations. Join with people across the nation to pack local theaters on opening weekend, March 28th-30th. For a full list of participating theaters, visit http://www.chavezmovieseeit.com or fandango.com Organize a meet-up to watch the film Step 1 - When & Where A full list of participating theaters can be found online at: http://www.chavezmovieseeit.com/find-a-theater-near-you or at fandango.com. Step 2 - Create your event Set up your gathering any way that works best for you--whether at the theater or other location. It would be great if you register your meet-up through our online tool @ http://bit.ly/1egkJro, so others can join your event. *Note: If you’re already on the UFW listserve, you will need to push "forgot password" to access your account and create your event. Our listserve will automatically send you a password. Step 3 - Invite your community Invite your friends. Invite your family. Invite your neighbors. Our tool will let you e-mail them invitations. Or join a meet-up someone else has already set up in your area. See what others are organizing at: http://www.chavezmovieseeit.com/ * You might want to either buy a block of tickets ahead of time using Fandango or another service, or suggest your attendees buy tickets in advance.	Special Red Carpet Events United Farm Workers & UFW Foundation Present  Cesar Chavez: An American Hero Be a part of it. Purchase your tickets now! Click on a venue below for information on how to buy your ticket(s) to the special VIP fundraising reception and/or the movie screening w/panel discussion.
	San Diego, March 28th
	Sacramento, March 28th
	Bakersfield, March 29th
	Salinas, March 30th
	Fresno, March 30th
	Additional UFW Movie Fundraisers
	Oxnard, March 28th
	New York City, March 30
	West Los Angeles, March 30
	Washington DC, March 30

Check out our website at: www.ufw.org and keep up with the latest news. Check out the UFW's Social Networking pages. Click to visit our Facebook, YouTube, Twitter pages. Become our "friend" and follow us. Sign up for the UFW List Serve. United Farm Workers,  P.O. Box 62, Keene, CA 93531, http://www.ufw.org