Thursday, April 17, 2008

Colombian Flower Workers: Mother's Day Campaign



Show your love for working mothers this Mother’s Day!

Instead of getting your mom chocolates or flowers again this year, think about making a donation in her name to support the basic rights of working mothers in Latin America. The US Labor Education in the America Project (USLEAP) has designed two beautiful Mother’s Day cards, each featuring a photo of a Colombian flower worker and her child. In exchange for a $25 donation to USLEAP’s Flower Worker Economic Justice Campaign, your mother will receive a card in the mail, with a personalized message from you inside.









On the back of the card, she can read about women who work in the flower industry in Colombia, which ships nearly all of its flowers to the United States. About 60% of flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from Colombia, and the majority of workers on Colombian flower plantations are women.









In the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day, flower workers are often required to work 12-15 hour days with few breaks and are subjected to increased productivity quotas. Flower workers routinely undergo repetitive stress injuries, health problems related to over-exposure to pesticides, and humiliating and degrading treatment by management. Workers seeking to form a union in Colombia face bureaucratic hurdles, violence, and harassment, and as a result there are currently no contracts held by independent unions in the flower sector.


Sending this card will say to your mom that you care about her, but also that you care about the rights of all mothers. Place your Mother’s Day Card order now at http://www.usleap.org/mothers_day_card


With your donation, USLEAP will be able to continue our support for flower workers in Colombia, where women are subjected to labor rights violations as well as violations of their rights as women. To read more about our flower campaign, please visit our website:
http://www.usleap.org/


The U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project (USLEAP) is an independent non-profit organization that supports workers who are fighting for a better life for their families and to overcome poverty in Latin America.

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