Recent Victories: Difference between revisions
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Below are descriptions of the UFW's most recent victories. Visit the [http://www.ufw.org UFW's Official Site] for more information. | Below are descriptions of the UFW's most recent victories as described on its site. Visit the [http://www.ufw.org UFW's Official Site] for more information. | ||
Latest revision as of 23:48, 11 May 2006
Below are descriptions of the UFW's most recent victories as described on its site. Visit the UFW's Official Site for more information.
April 11, 2006: The United Farm Workers of America and Global Horizons signed the first nationwide union contract protecting agricultural guest workers. Global Horizons is one of America’s largest suppliers of imported foreign farm workers, operating in dozens of states. With proposed guest worker programs a key part of the immigration reform debate, this landmark agreement provides a practical remedy to the long history of abuse and lax enforcement of legal guarantees for imported foreign farm workers: unionization. Learn more!
February 2006: UFW renegotiated a contract with Coastal Berry. Now owned by Dole, Coastal is the largest independent strawberry grower in the U.S. with 1,700 workers. The three year contract was overwhelmingly ratified by workers at both the Watsonville and Oxnard locations. Workers will enjoy wage increases and better medical coverage. The company is being brought under the union's Robert F. Kennedy Farm Workers Medical Plan, reducing the workers' monthly payments from $25 to just $10.
December 2005: More than forty Santa Rosa wine workers at Richard's Grove & Saralee's Vineyard, Inc, signed a UFW contract -- 3.5 years after winning a May 2002 election. Vineyard workers came to the UFW in April 2002. After collecting their authorization cards, a secret ballot election was held in May 2002. Since then, the UFW has been working to negotiate a contract. The contract was finally signed on December 9, 2005. The 2.5 year contract secured hourly wage increases, full coverage for medical and life insurance premiums, job security, a good seniority system and a solid grievance procedure.
August 2005: Due to a UFW campaign Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the first temporary emergency heat regulation in the nation. These regulations occurred when six Central Valley farm workers died due to extreme heat in the summer of 2005. Four of these needless deaths came during a three-week period in July. Some deaths occurred after growers or farm labor contractors ordered work speed-ups when temperatures were above 100 degrees. The United Farm Workers asked Governor Schwarzenegger to issue an emergency regulation to prevent future tragedies. After the first death in July 2004, the UFW and California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation turned to Assembly member Judy Chu and asked her to introduce AB 805, which passed the Assembly and is in the state Senate, to prevent further deaths and illnesses. Senator Dean Florez was the UFW's primary sponsor in the Senate. After the additional farm worker deaths from the heat in July '05 the UFW called on Governor Schwarzenegger for an emergency regulation so that farm workers could be protected during the summer harvest season this year. The UFW will continue to fight until these temporary regulations are made permanent.
August 2005: The UFW signed an agreement with Huntington Farms, a Central Coast vegetable farm. The company had been certified since 1993, and negotiations were stalled. Thanks to strong worker support, the workers were able to get a new three-year contract that provided them with higher wages, an improved medical plan, a solid grievance procedure as well as other benefits.
