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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 4/17/13
Opening Statement of Chuck Conner
AWC Press Conference, April 17, 2013
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Chuck Conner and I’m the president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, the national trade association representing the business and policy interests of America’s farmer-owned businesses.
NCFC is also a founding member, along with those who are joining me here today, of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition. The AWC brings together organizations representing the diverse needs of agricultural employers across the country and serves as the unified voice of agriculture in this process.
As many of you know, the formation of the AWC represents a significant change from the past. For many years, agriculture and the farming sector have spoken with many voices on immigration; today we speak with one voice.
And a key to the landmark agreement that was reached late last week were the discussions that the AWC had been having with representatives of the United Farm Workers union. So it is my great pleasure to be joined here today by Arturo Rodriguez, the President of the UFW.
I would also like to express our appreciation for the efforts of Senators Dianne Feinstein, Marco Rubio, Orrin Hatch and Michael Bennett in fostering these discussions between the AWC and the UFW.
I would like to briefly introduce the members of the AWC joining me today. They are:
Tom Nassif, President & CEO, Western Growers AssociationJerry Kozak, President & CEO, National Milk Producers Federation Tom Stenzel, President & CEO, United Fresh Produce AssociationMike Stuart, President & CEO, Florida Fruit & Vegetable AssociationNancy Foster, President & CEO, U.S. Apple Association
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