forwarded by Michael Hoover > http://www.tdo.com/news/breaking/docs/20MUSHROO-CMP-NWS.htm > > Quincy Farms settles dispute with United Farm Workers > > The agreement increases wages from $5.25 to $5.75 an hour for mushroom > packers. > > By Bill Cotterell > DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER > > More than three years after it began, a bitter labor dispute between > mushroom workers and a giant Quincy farming operation comes to a close > today with the formal signing of a union contract giving about half the > employees a 50-cent hourly pay raise. > > Jocelyn Sherman, a spokeswoman for the United Farm Workers, said Monday > that just having a contract with Quincy Farms was as important as the > money. And company president Greg Verhagen said he was pleased to have the > court suits, boycott and picketing finally finished. > > "This proud day would not have happened without the great organization and > spirit of the Quincy farm workers and the hard work and support of United > Farm Workers union," Sherman said. "Quincy Farms has established a model of > progressive labor relations by recognizing the advantages of the company, > union and employees working together." > > Her praise was a far cry from the bitterness that marked a protest leading > to the firing of 86 employees of the mushroom packing plant on March 14, > 1996. The company took back 24 workers who agreed to cease union activities > but the UFW, seeking union recognition, organized continued protests at the > Gadsden County plant, as well as a boycott of its Prime Mushrooms label. > > Six of the fired employees also filed a class-action suit in Gadsden County > Circuit Court last year, supported by Florida Legal Services, seeking > reinstatement with back pay for all of the ousted employees. > > Verhagen said all of the strikers who wanted their jobs back have been > rehired over the past three years. He said the company agreed to increase > wages from $5.25 to $5.75 an hour for mushroom packers in the plant, but > did not change the piece-work amount paid to pickers -- which he declined > to disclose. > > "A harvester can do very well here," said Verhagen. "Mushrooms are a crop > that is grown year-round, and we have many employees with long seniority > with us." > > The 18-month union agreement covers up to 430 mushroom pickers and packers. > Verhagen said the company also agreed to implement a profit-sharing plan. > > On July 7, the UFW conducted a union election in which the company verified > that 289 of its employees -- about 67 percent of the company's workers -- > supported the union. Sherman said UFW President Arturo Rodriguez will sign > the contract at the plant today, along with Verhagen and Quincy Farms chief > executive officer Dennis Zensen. > > Verhagen said the company agreed to work out a contract because two-thirds > of its employees wanted one, not because of the boycott. > > "My understanding is that it had no noticeable effect on sales," he said. > > Bill Cotterell covers state government. He can be reached at 599-2243. His > e-mail address is <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] . > Posted at 12:27 a.m. EDT Tuesday, July 20, 1999 > _________________________________________ > McReynolds 2000 Committee > "Building a Movement for Jobs, Peace and Freedom" > P.O. Box 91, Floral Park, NY 10012 > http://votesocialist.org/
