Ag Unionization Bill Fails
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. A Senate Bill in Olympia that would have given Washington farmworkers the right to collective bargaining has died, for this year anyway.
SB 6045 failed to get a vote before the February 17 deadline, and Washington Policy Center’s Pam Lewison says there are big concerns with this kind of legislation …
LEWISON … “California and New York have similar systems in place already. There are lawsuits that have been filed in both states alleging coercion and other forms of forced signing of these card-check systems because farm workers are scared into signing them. They’re told you won’t get X-benefit unless you sign this card.”
Lewison says then there’s the matter of farm worker strikes …
LEWISON … “I think on the farmer side of things, the way that this bill is set up farm workers have a long period of time that they can strike before they are required to come to the negotiation table.”
While the crops, Lewison says have a 5-to-7-day window before they go to waste …
LEWISON … “So, when, you know, if farm workers were to say, well we’re going to strike on the first day of harvest and we’re not coming back to work. That puts not just farmers themselves in jeopardy, but it also potentially puts future income for farm workers, who are not interested, perhaps, in being part of that union, in jeopardy as well.”
So called farmworker advocates and union leaders have been pushing for bargaining rights, while farmers, and most farm workers pushed back.
