Mass Layoffs - Normal
From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. A news story recently sent confusion and concern throughout the ag community when it was reported Northwest Farm Management was permanently laying off nearly 300 workers.
That’s when NWFM CEO and Co-Founder Keith Veselka says he was alerted …
VESELKA … “Oh yeah, it was quite a shock. I think I got notification from my business partner, he sent the me the article and I explained to him what was going on and really didn’t kind of think much of it other than I thought it was weird that it got picked up, you know, by the press.”
But then, word spread …
VESELKA … “Yeah, the next morning, I started getting phone calls and texts and, yeah, emails even, so I quickly realized that I needed to try to explain to our business partners, and clients, and everybody, just what was going on.”
Veselka says it was part of a new state law requiring layoff notifications for agriculture …
VESELKA … “To me it was kind of a ‘nothing burger.’ We, you know, knew we needed to file just based on some guidance we had received and, yeah, didn’t think anything of it, and then it spun off into whatever it became.”
Because, Veselka says it’s SEASONAL work …
VESELKA … “Turns out, we don’t pick apples year-round. Come November, we’re kind of out of fruit to pick. It ends our contract and, yeah, we’ll start anew next year.”
Veselka says nothing has really ever changed. It’s just a seasonal job!
