Alianza Agricola (Agricultural Alliance) is a left-of-center labor group that advocates for illegal immigrant farmworkers in Western and Central New York.

The group advocates for driver’s licenses for all people, including illegal immigrants, and wants to secure extensive labor rights for farmworkers including collective bargaining. ¹

Background

Alianza Agricola is a labor group that advocates for the rights of illegal immigrant farmworkers in Western and Central New York. It is a membership organization comprised entirely of illegal immigrant workers based throughout five counties in western New York. ²

It claims most of its members are from southern Mexico and have worked on farms in New York for 10 to 20 years. ³

Advocacy

Alianza Agricola advocates for driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, extensive labor rights for farmworkers, and community support for COVID-19. ⁴

Alianza Agricola boasts that it achieved two political victories in June 2019. The first was the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, which granted driver’s licenses to all illegal immigrants in the state of New York. The second was the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act (FLFLPA), which granted labor rights such as collective bargaining and overtime pay to farmworkers across New York. ⁵ Alianza Agricola used its newfound status to increase its membership size, create leadership training programs, and launch new campaigns. ⁶

In February 2024, Alianza Agricola promoted the New York For All Act, which aimed to defund Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and redirect state and city funds. It linked supporters to a page for activists to contact their political officials provided by the official New York For All campaign website. ^{7 8}

In March 2023, Alianza Agricola was hiring full-time and part-time organizers. ⁹ In the job description, the group said it was looking for someone to help expand the membership base, develop leaders, and contribute to the organization. It required the candidate to have experience in immigrant rights, have a valid driver’s license, and experience organizing for workers’ or immigrant rights. It “strongly encourages people of color, immigrants, females, and LGBTQ individuals to apply,” and offered a starting wage of $30 an hour. ¹⁰

Funding

The group has forms on its website to sign up as a volunteer or to donate. ¹¹

It fundraises through ActBlue, a donor tool affiliated with the Democratic Party. ¹²

In 2020, Alianza Agricola was funded by Food Chain Workers Alliance, a left-of-center food industry labor coalition associated with socialist movements. ¹³

In December 2023, Alianza Agricola noted it was part of the Growing Justice Fund community and receives annual grants from the group. Other recipients include Brooklyn Packers, Farmworkers Association of Florida, Oneida Nation, PG Changemakers, Planting Justice, and Wellspring Cooperatives. ¹⁴

1.  “About.” Alianza Agricola. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.alianzaagricola.org/about.
2. Home.” Alianza Agricola. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.alianzaagricola.org/home.
3. “About.” Alianza Agricola. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.alianzaagricola.org/about.
4. “Our Work.” Alianza Agricola. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.alianzaagricola.org/our-work.
5. “About.” Alianza Agricola. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.alianzaagricola.org/about.
6. “About.” Alianza Agricola. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.alianzaagricola.org/about.
7. “The Agricultural Alliance – New York For All Act.” Facebook. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/theAlianzaAgricola/posts/pfbid0MWqVxSQv3hoyMtvTfve5m4C6vqEeMpJVEHWyCkDQESmBcU8S5UtPN7P6UNTGR1g4l?locale=es_LA.
8. “The Time is Now to Pass NY4All.” New York For All. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://p2a.co/b3ejZbo.
9. ^[1] “The Agricultural Alliance – Hola a todas.” Facebook. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/theAlianzaAgricola/posts/pfbid0MWqVxSQv3hoyMtvTfve5m4C6vqEeMpJVEHWyCkDQESmBcU8S5UtPN7P6UNTGR1g4l?locale=es_LA.
10. “Puesto de Organizador.” Alianza Agricola, Google Docs. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://docs.google.com/document/d/131CwuouEjN_hFNtnsdB59CMvSzSmM0RZXiWGZHeNw5g/edit.
11. “Take Action.” Alianza Agricola. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.alianzaagricola.org/take-action.
12. “Alianza Agricola.” ActBlue. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/alianza-agricola
13. “Annual Report 2020.” Alianza Agricola. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.alianzaagricola.org/news-events/6639hb3zb2v9htesh2kqvwnca348pd.
14. “The Agricultural Alliance – Growing Justice Fund.” Facebook. Accessed March 10, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/theAlianzaAgricola/posts/pfbid0366x4mA7GUtpBVjDV9y8xYM27mh2UH1iNAhpavfmjXcjD1UyiEbTqDKfEtGkj3iEol?locale=es_LA