Ag Union Problems
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. When Senate Bill 6045 failed to get a deadline vote last week, many were relieved that giving collective bargaining rights to Washington farm workers was shelved for now.
Washington State Tree Fruit Association lobbyist, David DuCharme says the unionization of ag labor is not something that’s coming from the farmers or the farm workers …
DuCHARME … “This is an idea that comes out of downtown Seattle that farm workers should be able to organize, they should be able to strike.”
But DuCharme says ag labor has aways been exempt from collective bargaining …
DuCHARME … “Arguably, that’s because food supply and food production and the growing of agricultural commodities, it’s very sensitive in nature. When it’s go-time it’s go-time. When it’s time to pick the cherry crop it’s time to pick the cherry crop, and the risk of a strike, you could lose your entire crop. You could lose all of your revenue for an entire year. You might lose your farm and today, that’s a very real possibility.”
As for why some lawmakers want this, DuCharme says follow the money …
DuCHARME … “Organized labor is just strong. There’s just no doubt about it. And when they look at agriculture as not allowing for collective bargaining because they’re not covered under the National Labor Relations Act, you know, it’s kind of a religion. And if you look at the largest unions in our state, and again, state employees, teacher’s unions, there is a lot of money that goes into electing people that are like-minded.”
DuCharme says it’s really no surprise given the core constituency of the majority party comes from organized labor and other more progressive groups.
