Hollister - The county's largest employer will rearrange work schedules so that its employees can participate in next week's work and school boycott - a nationwide protest of immigration reform calling for immigrant students, workers and their families to stay home and not spend money so the country can feel their effect on the economy.
In a letter to its employees, Earthbound Farm announced that it will shut down operations on Monday, May 1 - the day of the boycott. Employees scheduled to work that day are expected to work the preceding day, according to the letter. Earthbound employs about 800 people between the months of March and November .
"We realize that this is something our employees might want to participate in and we want to support that," Earthbound spokeswoman Julie Morris said.
The boycott will come on the heels of nationwide demonstrations calling for immigration reform that allows foreign workers to work legally in the U.S. and gives those already in the country illegally a path to citizenship. Earlier this month, hundreds of supporters of amnesty for illegal immigrants marched through downtown Hollister and held a candlelight vigil at Veterans Memorial Building. Late last month students from San Benito High School and Anzar High School held separate demonstrations as well.
A sweeping immigration bill was gridlocked as lawmakers left Capitol Hill two weeks ago for Easter break. The stalled bill would provide for stronger border security, regulate future entry of foreign workers and create a complex new set of regulations for the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally. Also under the proposal, an estimated 9 million illegal immigrants - those who could prove they have been in the U.S. for more than two years - would eventually become eligible for citizenship. Senate Majority leader Bill Frist hopes to revive the bill and have immigration legislation passed by Memorial Day, Republican leadership aides said Friday.
San Benito High School Superintendent Jean Burns Slater said that the school is trying to avoid a repeat of the impromptu student walkouts that occurred last month, when hundreds of students left school grounds without permission and walked around Hollister.
Burns Slater said that SBHS is working with the local League of United Latin American Citizens chapter to come up with ways to keep kids in their classrooms on the day of the boycott. To that end, school is also working with the police department, she said.
"Our focus is in school," she said. "And that's where we plan on having our students."
Neither the San Benito County nor the City of Hollister are anticipating major instances of employees not showing up to work on May 1, according to administrators at the respective agencies.
"We haven't heard about anything real big in the city," said City Manager Clint Quilter said. "But it's something we'll be looking into."
Quilter said the boycott will likely be discussed when he meets with department heads later this week.
County Administrative Officer Susan Thompson said that she hasn't heard of any employees interested in taking May 1 off. But, she said, if employees do want to take time off for the boycott, or any other activity for that matter, they just need to request it.
"Anybody who wants to participate in anything in the community, they can ask for time off," she said. "If the department can spare them, it's OK."
The local LULAC chapter is supporting the May 1 boycott - for workers - but has no plans to organize a local demonstration, according to San Benito County LULAC President Mickie Luna.
"We encourage people, if they take a day off, let their employer know. Do it the proper way," she said. "We encourage students to stay in school."
The national LULAC organization is calling for people to avoid spending money on the day of the boycott. The organization is also calling for those who take part in the boycott to spend the time doing something positive like holding voter registration drives and spending time with their families.
While no local organized pro-immigrant demonstrations had been announced for May 1 as of press time Monday, Hollister resident Henry Sumaya said that he and others are planning to gather on the corner of Fourth and San Benito streets May 1 to protest the push for amnesty for illegal aliens. Sumaya said that he supports a guest worker program for immigrants, but is opposed to amnesty.
"We all have to stand in line to get our papers," he said.
During a visit to Irvine Monday, President George W. Bush spoke in support of the immigration bill stalled in the Senate that has provisions for a guest worker program and eventual citizenship for illegal immigrants.
"I know this is an emotional debate," he said. "But one thing we can't lose sight of is that we are talking about human beings, decent human beings."
The senate is anticipated to resume debating the immigration legislation next week.
The Associated Press Contributed to this report
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lroney@freelancenews.com
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