Washington, DC- In July, President Bush instructed Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to block a Senate floor vote on the AgJOBS bill (Agricultural, Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act, S.1645), which would allow an estimated 500,000 undocumented farm workers to earn the legal right to stay in this country by continuing to work in agriculture.

The bill was negotiated over three years by the agricultural industry and the United Farm Workers. It has 63 Senate co-sponsors, including 26 Republicans, which is more than enough to ensure passage and block attempts to stall the measure. Another 111 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are co-sponsors. More than 400 organizations back AgJOBS, from business and labor to Latino and immigrant rights groups. But time is running out for passage of this sensible immigration reform measure before Election Day and adjournment of Congress for the year.

Labor, Latino community and immigrant's rights advocates want all Latinos to know what is at stake if this bill does not pass this year. While AgJOBS would affect farm workers and the agricultural industry directly, it has important consequences for all immigrants. If this targeted, bipartisan bill fails to pass, broader reforms to fix the nation's broken immigration system will be much less likely.

On Tuesday, join UFW President Arturo Rodriguez, national Latino leaders and farm workers in an on-the-record, Spanish-language telephone conference call briefing on AgJOBS, its prospects for passage and what Latinos can do to advance immigration reform this year. Opening statements will be followed by an opportunity for journalists to ask questions.

WHAT: National telephone briefing on AgJOBS and immigration reform.

WHEN: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time (11 a.m. Pacific).

WHO: United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez, Service Employees International Union Vice President Eliseo Medina, National Council of La Raza Director of State and Local Policy Clarissa Martinez de Castro, and farm workers supporting AgJOBS.

# # #