Farm Labor Relations Part 2

Farm Labor Relations Part 2. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

We have been talking with Dan Fazio with the Washington Farm Labor Organization.

FAZIO: Let me conclude by talking about what you should do it your crew threatens a work stoppage or there’s a demand for higher wages or anything like that where you think that there might be a union involved. First, you should never fire someone on the spot. You can’t fire someone for union organizing. That’s their right and it’s not a good employment practice to fire someone on the spot.

He says you should communicate with all your workers and not through a union representative.

FAZIO: We don’t have any labor relations union act in Washington so there is nothing the employer needs to fear about. They’re not represented by a union rep unless you have a union on your farm which most people don’t. Thirdly, if the worker is disrupting your operation or being disrespectful in any way, shape or form - or trying a sit down or something like that, remember they are on your property and they don’t have the right to be on your property.

They suggest sending the person home without pay.

FAZIO: We want you to come back in a day or two and you can come talk to me directly if you want to still work here and we’ll figure out if we want to have you work. But you’re not going to fire the person, you’re going to give them a cooling off period. During that one or two days call us or email us if you have a problem like that.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.