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I’ve always done well with poison ivy so perhaps whatever helps my
body fight this stuff is helping me now but I don’t want to push
my luck. The gloves I got yesterday helped a lot, they worked
great. I was able to pluck the smallest “retornos” as the men
call the suckers, as the grips did what I thought they would. I
was then able to avoid direct skin contact with the leaves and
stalk.
I did have to throw them away tonight as they were pretty sticky
and black with what would have been on my hands. I’ve got two
more pair then I’ll have to pick up a couple more to last me the
rest of the week. The white cap and handkerchief stuffed under
the back of my cap covering my neck worked great too. My neck
didn’t need anymore sun, it was already pretty red but not
burnt. Being a “guero,” that is a term for a light skinned
Mexican, we don’t burn easy but will get red. I guess I’m a
bona fide “redneck” now.
I did much better today as it wasn’t wet this morning so I didn’t
have to wear the plastic trash bag and there was a cloud cover
most of the morning. We start every day with a stop at the
farmer’s shed where he has one of those restaurant-type ice
makers. We fill the water coolers with ice and water for the
day then direct to the field. The little dew on the grass was
all the wetness we encountered. Apparently the moister the day
before was from the thunderstorm that hit Sunday night. Anyway
I was glad I didn’t have to put on the trash bag.
The field rows were really long so the men had to improvise as to
where to move the van and pick-up with the water. It was still
very hot but the sun didn’t break through until late morning and
then an occasional cover until the afternoon. I wasn’t near as
taxed as yesterday and when 5:00 came and went I felt I could
still do more.
Don’t get me wrong, I was pretty tired and as I was isolated for a
while working some 30 yards from the men, I contented myself by
singing praise and worship songs. “All Hail King Jesus, all
hail Emmanuel, Lord of Lords, King of Kings bright morning
star…….”
The day with the men was similar, more training for me, plenty of
songs, “platicas” (talking between the men,) and sharing about
family and friends they left behind. Panza laments about his
second daughter who is 17 and doesn’t want to continue her
education right now but wants to come to the U.S. He is not an
insistant father as he feels that you try to “cosejar” (advise
them) when they’re young but when they get “that” age, there is
not much you can do.
Caballo recounted his stint in the Mexican military and how the
whole country is going to pots because not even the military has
been able to reign in the drug cartels. The U.S. government is
giving Mexico 400 million dollars in Plan Merida to fight drugs
but the military is used to attack civil organization like the
teacher’s union in Oaxaca and the fiercely independent farmers
in Chiapas. Some of the highly trained military specialists are
then hired by the drug cartels because they pay a lot and so the
problem just gets worse.
Caballo wants his kids to finish school and train as technicians,
teachers or any profession to stay out of harm's way.
Caballo showed me how to spread the plants to access a clear view
of the two plants at a time for suckers that might be lower down
on the stalk. We got some rows today that were really nasty,
suckers all up and down the stalk so I spent a lot of time
underneath the plants.
The other part of the job I haven’t mentioned is taking out the
tall weeds by hand, root and all, so we’re basically weeding as
well. I remember those exact weeds in my hoeing days in Ohio
and Michigan. “El Kelite” is what we called it and until today
I never knew it’s name in English. The kind farmer brought us
lunch again so I asked him and it was red root pig weed!
I learned today that RJ Reynolds has learned of my working in one
of their fields and have started veiled threats. All farmers
fear the company and getting cut off would mean certain
financial ruin. This was true of the farmers in Ohio during
the Cambell Soup campaigns.
It is true that these companies have tremendous power but for some
reason RJ Reynolds refuses to talk to me as president of FLOC.
The company apparently sent a letter to all its growers some
months ago warning them not to have anything to do with us.
With all this concern to avoid FLOC, why are they concerned that
I’m working in some remote tobacco fields. Can someone ask
them why the silent treatment, then the gossip behind our
back?
Seriously, they’re like a bunch juveniles who haven’t matured since
middle school. Let’s see if they get more blatant and try to
start bullying people around, someone should tell them that it
would be a colossal PR mistake. See, nobody likes a bully and
it would bring them unfavorable attention since most of their
labor supply is questionable in their legal status and they do
nothing to facilitate in helping their suppliers comply with the
law.
What is their procurement system design? Some people refer to it
as their supply line. Is it to squeeze the farmer who with all
his dramatically rising costs, let him take the risks the
climate offers and keep the tobacco workers out of sight and out
of mind? RJ Reynolds can do better as I’m sure there are men
and women there that have good minds and good hearts.
Call to the Fields Part V
Call to the Fields Part IV
Call to the
Fields Part III
Call to the Fields Part II
Call to the Fields |
