USA : Farmworkers at Sakuma Bros. vote to unionize
BURLINGTON — Farmworkers with Sakuma Bros. Farms voted Monday to authorize the labor group Familias Unidas por la Justicia to represent them in the negotiation of a union contract.
“This is
a historic moment,” said Maru Mora-Villalpando, Familias spokeswoman. “This isn’t just for Familias, this is for all farmworkers.”
According to Sakuma Bros. spokesman Roger Van Oosten, 195 farmworkers voted for representation by Familias and 58 voted against.
The vote at Sakuma, one of the largest berry suppliers in the state, comes after nearly three years of constant action by Familias, in the form of walkouts and boycotts, and through calls for better working conditions and the negotiation of a union contract.
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“Throughout this process it has been our goal to give our employees a fair and honest voice,” said a statement from Sakuma Bros. “We believe the election was conducted in a fair and open manner such that all eligible workers had an opportunity to vote.”
Mora-Villalpando said she expects the contract negotiations to begin soon.
When the two groups announced their intent to hold a vote, Sakuma Bros. CEO Danny Weeden said despite Familias’ claims, the group may not represent every worker. Monday’s vote, however, showed the farmworkers are solidly behind Familias.
Sakuma Bros. and Familias announced in July they would collaborate to hold a vote, and held two meetings leading up to it.
The two groups agreed on Richard Ahearn as an independent facilitator. Ahearn is a former director of the National Labor Relations Board.
Kerstin Lindgren, with the Fair World Project, acted as a mediator.
Danny Weeden, who joined Sakuma Bros. as CEO in March 2015, said in July he had been working on a way to allow a union vote since he joined the company. The National Labor Relations Act does not grant certain union protections to farmworkers, so Weeden said the farm needed to find a different way to hold a vote.
Sakuma Bros. and Familias eventually agreed on a secret-ballot election facilitated by Ahearn and Lindgren. A memorandum of understanding laid out terms and the promise of a union-contract negotiation should Familias be approved by farmworkers.
Throughout the process to set the terms of the vote, Familias organized multiple walkouts.