Education for Action: Student Berry Boycott Organizer Celebrates Farmworker Victory

When workers at a Washington State berry farm went on strike, UW alumna Jessica Ramirez joined the fight alongside Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ), coordinating a national boycott against the largest berry company in the world. In summer of 2017, FUJ won its campaign, becoming the first indigenous-led farmworkers' union in the U.S!

Tragically, the recent death of farmworker Honesto Silva Ibarra in Sumas, WA, underscores the need for continued organizing for workers' rights in our communities. FUJ and allies Community to Community Development are supporting dozens of workers who were fired after walking off the fields in protest, and who are now living in an encampment.

Jessica's work was supported by the UW Center for Human Rights' unique Osheroff-Clark Fund, which provides financial resources for undergraduate and graduate students to support human rights projects that promote social change through direct action. Learn more on the UWCHR website.

Project partners: University of Washington Center for Human Rights, Familias Unidas por la Justicia
Roles: Videographer, Editor, Project Manager
Collaborators: Jessica Ramirez, Jason Solis