Legislation allowing immigrant farm workers to earn the legal right to permanently stay in this country by continuing to work in agriculture will be reintroduced Thursday with news conferences on Capitol Hill and at eight farm worker events in California, Texas and Washington state.

United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez joins grower leaders and principal AgJobs authors U.S. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Reps. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) and Howard Berman (D-Calif.) at a 9 a.m. EST Washington, D.C. news conference in Russell Senate Office Building Room 418. Meanwhile, UFW leaders and members will herald the premiere of the 2005 AgJobs bill with eight events in three states.

Negotiated over a four-year period by the UFW and the agricultural industry, AgJobs garnered 63 co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate last year and endorsements from more than 400 organizations.

Eight UFW news conferences held simultaneous with Thursday's Capitol Hill event:

• Fresno, Calif.: 11 a.m., Farm Workers office, 2500 Merced St. (corner of "O" St.), Fresno, contact: UFW Vice President Lupe Martinez, 559-497-0164

• Bakersfield, Calif.: 11 a.m. Radio Campesina radio station, 6313 Schirra Ct. (at Ash Rd.), Bakersfield, contact: UFW Vice President Gustavo Aguirre, 661-725-973
  
  
• California Central Coast: 12 noon, UFW office, 519 Main St. (near East Lake Ave.), Watsonville contact: UFW Vice President Efren Barajas, 831-763-4820
  
  
• California South Coast: 3 p.m., UFW office, 920 So. "A" St. (at West 9th St.), Oxnard, contact: UFW Regional Director Lauro Barajas, 805-486-9674

• Southern California: 10 a.m., UFW office, 51800 Harrison St., Suite 3 (at Ave. 52), Coachella, contact: UFW Contract Administrator Joe Mota, 760-398-264

• Sonoma County: 10 a.m., UFW office, 1700-B Corby Ave., Santa Rosa, contact: UFW Regional Director Casimiro Alvarez, 707-528-3039

• South Texas: 1 p.m., field at the corner of Stuart Rd. & Valli St. south of Business 83, San Juan, Texas, contact: UFW Vice President Rebecca Flores, 210-842-9502

• Washington state: 10 a.m., UFW office, 423 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, contact: UFW Regional Director Erik Nicholson, 253-274-0416

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