Cesar Chavez Day is a U.S. federal holiday celebrating the legacy of the civil and labor rights worker on his birthday, March 31. Chavez undertook nonviolent tactics to advocate for better pay and safe working conditions for U.S. agricultural laborers.
In Honduras, people living with HIV face discrimination in the workplace. If they have low levels of education, they are especially vulnerable to non-consensual HIV testing by their employers, primarily clothing and food factories. If found HIV-positive they are not hired or their employment is terminated.
On the occasion of Chavez’ birthday, we recognize people like Luz, a furniture factory employer in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. After learning from an employee that he had tested positive for HIV, Luz asked Siempre Unidos to provide training on HIV, how to prevent infection and abate stigmatization (see photo above). She and her 50 employees remind us that “Yes, we can” (Sí, se puede) support the rights of people to be treated with dignity in the workplace.
