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Raspberry Workers Choose Unionization

Bryan Little, FELS Chief Operating Officer

August 14, 2017

Employees at a raspberry farm near Watsonville voted for United Farm Workers union representation last week.

When employers or supervisors notice workers are speaking furtively in small groups, strangers are contacting employees in the field, a union petition is filed against an employer in your area, workers refuse to take orders from a supervisor, or workers demand a raise, better benefits, or changes in their working conditions,  or when union literature is found in the workplace, a union representation campaign may be underway.  It is critically important that you avoid any action that can trigger an unfair labor practice charge from the union; remember TIPS:

Never:

Threaten employees regarding their union activity or membership;

Interrogate employees about their union activity or membership;

Promise better wages, benefits, or working conditions if workers do not vote for the union;

Spy on employees about their union activity or membership.

Very often, unskilled or inexperienced supervisors will create working conditions that will be ripe for a union to mount a successful campaign.  FELS' bi-lingual and bi-cultural Labor Management Consultants can help you get an early warning of a union campaign on your farm or ranch, train supervisors so your employees won't be interested in voting to pay a siginficant part of their pay to a union, and help you manage a pro-company campaign if the union petitions for an election to be supervised by the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB).