------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the March 22, 2001 issue of Workers World newspaper ------------------------- STRAWBERRY WORKERS' VICTORY: UFW SIGNS LANDMARK CONTRACT By Leslie Feinberg On March 8 more than 750 strawberry pickers, most of them Latino, made history. The United Farm Workers and Coastal Berry Co. signed a landmark contract that gave the union its first major foothold in California's $600-million-a-year strawberry industry. Workers won this victory after a four- year battle for union representation. Under the three-year contract workers receive a company-paid medical and dental plan covering themselves and their families, whether in the United States or in Mexico. The contract also provides life insurance, six paid holidays, job security, a seniority system and a grievance procedure. Workers will also receive wage increases from 7 percent to 15 percent over the three years, depending on job classification. Coastal Berry Co., based in Watsonville, Calif., owns 1,000 acres of strawberries in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties and another 400 acres around Oxnard in Ventura County. The contract covers the Oxnard workers. "This breakthrough agreement with the largest employer of strawberry workers in the country," explained UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez, "makes Coastal Berry's 750 Ventura County employees the best-paid and best-protected workers in the fastest-growing strawberry producing region in the state." He challenged other strawberry growers in the Ventura County area to match these wages and benefits. Rodriguez paid tribute to the protracted struggle by the pickers. "They have demonstrated what can be achieved when you are persistent, committed and when you refuse to give up." The 750 pickers now have one week to individually decide if they want to join the union or quit their job. Coastal Berry picker Javier Vasquez said he believes the contract will improve working conditions. Strawberry pickers are among the 700,000 poorly paid farm workers in California that are, all told, the backbone of the state's giant agribusiness industry. They work doubled over, in furrows deep with water, harvesting the fragile fruit by hand. In remarks translated from Spanish, Vasquez said he looks forward to enjoying "respect in the place of work." He added there have been "too many firings and a lot of discrimination toward the workers and sexual harassment that I saw almost every day. Thatwhat motivated me to get involved and to organize my co-workers." UFW leaders say this contract bodes well for farm laborers across the United States. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
