FARMERS DEMAND REPARATIONS. More than 1,000 Latino farmers sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture for years of unfair loans and other discriminatory practices. The government has offered them over $1 billion dollars, a fraction of what has been approved for African-American farmers. On the eve of a new hearing, Latino farmers join this edition to talk about the case.

Guests: Collette Harrell, Attorney, Howery LLP, Washington DC, www.howrey.com ; Alberto Acosta, Chili farmer and plaintiff, Animas, New Mexico; Noé Obregón, Farmer and Plaitiff, Pearsall, Texas.

ALSO, UNEMPLOYMENT FALLS. Unemployment fell in December to 9.4%, the lowest it has been in the past year and a half. This is an interview with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solís.

TOMATO WORKERS PRESSURE TRADER JOE’S. Organized workers from Florida, the winter tomato capita l of the U.S., have fought for more than 15 years to win better wages and treatment for those who labor in the tomato fields. Nine corporations, including fast-food giants McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway and Taco Bell have signed on to the agreement. Supermarkets are next in line. Florida tomato workers recently visited California to pressure Trader Joe’s to sign the agreement. So far, the grocery chain has refused to sign.

Guests: Lucas Benitez, Co-founder, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Immokalee, FL (interviewed in Oakland, CA), www.ciw-online.org

OCCUPY WALL STREET. Tens of thousands of people have crowded Wall Street to protest corporate greed, bank bailouts, and income inequality, in an American version of the “movement of the outraged” in Spain. Hundreds of thousands more are “occupying” other cities in support of the movement, and major national labor unions recently joined the ranks. Protesters and reporters join this edition to give an up-to-date report.

Guests: Omar Angel Pérez, Executive Director, Workplace Project, Hempstead, NY, http://www.workplaceprojectny.org/ ; Agnes Rivera Martinez, Activist, Community Voices Heard, Nueva York NY, www.cvhaction.org/ ; Jaime Contreras, Capital Area Director, Local 32BJ, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Washington, D.C. www.seiu32bj.org ; Sergio Ballesteros, Teacher out of work, Participant in Occupy L.A. Los Angeles, CA

TAX RAISE FOR WORKING FAMILIES. The Republican-led Congress passed a bill denying Child Tax Credits for taxpayers who use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers instead of social security numbers. The move would raise taxes on millions of families that make an average of $21,000 per year. Most of these taxpayers are undocumented immigrants with U.S. citizen children. The move has sparked a firestorm of criticism among immigrant advocacy groups.

Guests: Leticia Miranda, Associate Director of Employment and Economic Policy Project, National Council of La Raza, Washington, DC, www.nclr.org ; José Dante Parra, Spokesperson for Senate Majority Harry Reid, Washington, DC, http://reid.senate.gov/ ; Jaime Soto, Bishop, Diocesis of Sacramento, Los Altos, CA, http://www.diocese-sacramento.org

TAXING THE MILLIONAIRES? California governor Jerry Brown came to an agreement with union leaders and community organizations pushing a so-called “Millionaires Tax” initiative to combine both measures in a joint proposition on the ballot in November. The new proposition will increase the state sales tax and income taxes on the wealthiest. What are the details of the new project? What are its chances with voters?

Guests: Araceli Martinez, Reporter, Radio Bilingue, Sacramento, CA; Francisco Rodriguez, Vice President, California Federation of Teachers, Longbeach, CA, www.cft.org

LATINOS COULD BOOST ECONOMY. This is an exclusive interview with Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, a top director of the International Monetary Fund, after meeting with the highest U.S. economic officials. Ferretti talks about the recession, the U.S. public finances, and the impact of immigrants and Latinos on the U.S. economy. Listeners are encouraged to call in to discuss the interview and how it relates to the presidential elections. This program includes pre-taped calls from listeners who comment on previous programs, such as the caravan for peace and guns traffic, soda tax proposals, and the restrictions in Arizona against applicants for deferred action.

Guest: Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, Assistant director for the Western Hemisphere Department, International Monetary Fund, New York, NY.

CHIPOTLE AGREEMENT. A groundbreaking coalition of farmworkers from Florida has once again made history by signing an agreement with a major fast food chain to pay a penny more for every pound of tomatoes, directly to the workers. Chipotle is the newest signer to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Fair Food Agreement, which also includes a code of responsible conduct.

Guest: Lucas Benítez, Co-founder, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Immokalee, FL, www.ciw-online.org

ALSO, SUING FOR SHADE. The United Farm Workers filed a lawsuit against California authorities for failure to enforce laws that require shade, water, and rest for workers to prevent heat stroke. The president of the union joins this edition to discuss the lawsuit.

Guest: Arturo Rodríguez, President, United Farm Workers (UFW), Keene, CA, www.ufw.org

ALSO, LISTENER FORUM. Listeners call in to the show to discuss recent news developments, including the elections, healthcare reform, foreclosures, and more.