FLAP advocates for better working conditions and opportunities on behalf of low communities and their households in the cannery, farming, greenhouse, landscaping, meat, nursery, packinghouse, poultry, restaurants, and snow plowing industries.
One important aspect of FLAP ongoing advocacy efforts, is signing petitions and letters of supports and reaching out to elected officials encouraging them to attend FLAP presentations, workshops, trainings and community outreach and education events calling their attention on the needs of low-wage communities and the work that FLAP does along with partners and coalitions to advance fair working conditions and opportunities.
Another way FLAP advocates on behalf of low-wage communities is to ensure that they are connected to information and resources available to them.
FLAP in partnership with the Michael J. Fox foundation is seeking a statewide ban on paraquat, an herbicide that multiple peer-reviewed studies have linked to higher Parkinson’s risk, particularly with repeated occupational exposure (e.g., agricultural settings).
This herbicide is already banned in 70+ countries, including the EU, China, Brazil, and Canada. A ban would help protect farmers, farmworkers, and certified applicators from a uniquely hazardous chemical, align Illinois with a growing trend of states reassessing paraquat’s safety, and send a clear message that when strong evidence points to avoidable harm, Illinois will act to protect the people who feed and serve our communities. Many migrant farmworkers are likely using this product without knowledge of its long-term effects.