Day Four of the Farmworkers March for Justice

Photos By: Matthew Rosenberg

Although we woke up to snow and hail, the worst of the weather had passed by the time we left Oneida for Utica. Well fed and bundled up for the elements, we gathered our will to keep moving after the previous day’s record distance. It was a cold walk, but we seemed to find our groove once we hit the road.
We stopped for lunch at Lairdsville United Methodist Church, where we were greeted by the pastor and where we picked up a few extra layers of clothes from their stock of rummage sale items.

Outside of Utica, we were met by the Utica Central Labor Council, Labor-Religion Coalition, and a contingent of local member from various unions, including the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), United Building Trade (UBT), and Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA).
Our ranks swelled with the support of the union members as we marched into Utica. We were a lively crew, singing and chanting as we snaked into town.

The sisters and community members at St. Francis DeSales Catholic Church welcomed us with a fantastic meal and their sincere expressions of solidarity. After dinner, we sang songs of happy birthday to Lory Ghertner in both Spanish and English. Tonight, we are enjoying the luxury of our own beds and showers at St. Margaret’s House, an Episcopal convent in New Hartford.

As we prepare for tomorrow’s leg of the march, we are inspired by the great media coverage we have received along the away, including a supportive editorial in The Citizen and a Free Speech Radio segment that was aired on 50 Pacifica stations across the country. In the morning we strike out for Little Falls, looking forward to the beautiful countryside and the promise of warmer weather.