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Immigrants Win on the Farms |
Marchers for UFW. © Jocelyn Sherman
by Ruth Robertson
CALIFORNIA - Unionization! The remedy to a long history of injustice towards imported foreign farm workers is at hand at last. The United Farm Workers recently announced the signing of an historic contract that will help protect agricultural guest workers.
Global Horizons is one of the largest suppliers of workers to American farms and orchards. Negotiators representing United Farm Workers (UFW) worked long and hard to reach the landmark agreement with Global, and are pleased with the result. “This is a historic breakthrough”, said UFW spokesperson Marc Grossman in an interview with Positive News US, ”because we can use the union contract to enforce existing state and federal protections for agricultural guest workers.”
Farmers, contractors, and union representatives all had the common goal of keeping agriculture viable in the United States. It took union power to bring together groups long considered adversaries, and help create a pact that would bring justice and dignity to valued guest farm employees.
Some of the benefits that foreign agricultural workers will have for the first time include employer-paid medical care while in the US, paid work breaks which are not legally guaranteed for farm workers in many states, and paid bereavement leave when a family member dies. A system of seniority will be implemented so workers will be hired or laid off based on their years of service with Global Horizons. Enforcement of relevant state and federal laws will mean workers will have protection from retaliation for complaining about treatment through the grievance and binding mediation process.
Many of the demonstrators who marched throughout the US on May 1 in support of justice for immigrants celebrated the UFW’s April 2006 achievement. "This is the first national agreement that covers guest workers in the U.S. It's going to provide the opportunity for many more agricultural workers to be represented by a union," summarized a smiling UFW President Arturo Rodriguez.
Contact: United Farm Workers
Tel: 661-823-6250
Web: www.ufw.org
CALIFORNIA - Unionization! The remedy to a long history of injustice towards imported foreign farm workers is at hand at last. The United Farm Workers recently announced the signing of an historic contract that will help protect agricultural guest workers.
Global Horizons is one of the largest suppliers of workers to American farms and orchards. Negotiators representing United Farm Workers (UFW) worked long and hard to reach the landmark agreement with Global, and are pleased with the result. “This is a historic breakthrough”, said UFW spokesperson Marc Grossman in an interview with Positive News US, ”because we can use the union contract to enforce existing state and federal protections for agricultural guest workers.”
Farmers, contractors, and union representatives all had the common goal of keeping agriculture viable in the United States. It took union power to bring together groups long considered adversaries, and help create a pact that would bring justice and dignity to valued guest farm employees.
Some of the benefits that foreign agricultural workers will have for the first time include employer-paid medical care while in the US, paid work breaks which are not legally guaranteed for farm workers in many states, and paid bereavement leave when a family member dies. A system of seniority will be implemented so workers will be hired or laid off based on their years of service with Global Horizons. Enforcement of relevant state and federal laws will mean workers will have protection from retaliation for complaining about treatment through the grievance and binding mediation process.
Many of the demonstrators who marched throughout the US on May 1 in support of justice for immigrants celebrated the UFW’s April 2006 achievement. "This is the first national agreement that covers guest workers in the U.S. It's going to provide the opportunity for many more agricultural workers to be represented by a union," summarized a smiling UFW President Arturo Rodriguez.
Contact: United Farm Workers
Tel: 661-823-6250
Web: www.ufw.org
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