Farmworkers at Sakuma Berry Farms Demand Negotiations with Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2nd, 2015 Contact: Rosalinda Guillen 360-381-0293

Farmworkers at Sakuma Berry Farms Demand Negotiations with Management 

Burlington, WA – Today, as a result of negotiation between Familias Unidas por la Justicia and Sakuma management in the fields, over 200 farmworkers received punch cards to verify the exact number of pounds picked on a daily basis. The company also agreed to stop the new practice of having workers begin their day in groups of 15 minute intervals. However the negotiations fell apart on the demand from the workers to pick 15 lbs to earn the $10 per hour minimum wage; Sakuma management refused to negotiate and continued to insist on 35lbs minimum for the $10 per hour wage. A session of over an hour produced a stalemate and the workers walked out in frustration. Then Familias Unidas por la Justicia Vice-President Felimon Pineda, with the entire group,  marched back into the fields led by him to deliver a formal written demand for a negotiation of a union contract. 

                                               

The company responded harshly by bringing additional upper management, lawyers, and by calling the Skagit County Sheriff’s office. Felimon Pineda led a peaceful assembly requesting a negotiation session for a union contract, when the company refused to negotiate, the workers peacefully exited the company property and moved on to a  boycott of Driscoll picket line at a Costco in Burlington.

                                               

In a meeting with allies and union leadership, the workers collectively agreed to return to work tomorrow and try to negotiate a lower number of pounds per hour for the $10 minimum wage established by the company. The workers raised concerns on the 35 lbs per hour required; some of the women pickers spoke to the Union leadership about this requirement being inhumane production standards and also the unhealthy impacts they have begun to feel as they rush to meet the 35lb limit due to the high temperatures. Several women reported having felt throbbing headaches and fatigue in the last week.

                                               

“It is hard for us to keep working fast to be able to pick 35 pounds an hour, sometimes we feel sick” said a farm worker woman who migrated to Skagit County with her family from California, to escape the high heat “ I thought it would be cooler, in California they were not asking us for a minimum number of pounds per hour, we were getting paid a straight $10 hr. – when they recruited us to come here they told us we would be able to earn $17 hr., that is why we agreed to come to Sakuma, we were tricked” she was afraid to identify herself for fear of reprisals since she also was not told of the labor conflict at Sakuma Berry Farms.  The workers agreed that no one should put their health in danger to meet Sakuma's 35 pounds per hour requirement. 

Pictures and video available in Community to Community Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Community2Community 

The workers are planning the Third Annual March for a Union Contract on July 11th. Details for the march:https://www.facebook.com/events/1608111789460551/

Article on the work stoppage and negotiation from last week: http://www.thestand.org/…/sakuma-workers-win-better-condit…/   

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Maru Mora Villalpando

Latino Advocacy

www.latinoadvocacy.org

206-251-6658

C2C/BUF Partnership Team Report 2013-2015

Here is a link to the Partnership's report for the years of 2013-2015.  Each time we put together a Partnership Report, we are always surprised at what we've accomplished.

Heartfelt thank you and much gratitude to Community to Community in taking a leadership role, performing admirably with limited resources and allowing BUF to work with them and be a part of changing the world!

C2C/BUF Partnership Team Report 2013-2015

Hour of the Wolf Ep 9: Si Se Puede! Farm Workers' March radio interview

Starts about about 21:00.

Hour of the Wolf Ep 9: Si Se Puede! Farm Workers' March. Guests Rosalinda Guillen, Edgar Franks, Kara Black talk about the May 3 Farm Worker Justice March. https://www.mixcloud.com/KVWV_CommunityRadio/hour-of-the-wolf-news-april-27th-2015/

3rd Annual March for Dignity

RE presents dinner and "Viva La Causa"

C2C/BUF Partnership Celebration and Education Event

"The Essence of the Partnership" by Kara Black

I am a member of the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship of Swiss and other mixed Western European heritage. I remember the first time I joined the farmworker march for justice in our County.  It was shortly after we had launched our "official" partnership with the organization Community to Community, though we had been unofficial partners on several efforts for years.

I heard that some farmworkers, including a man in a wheelchair whose feet had been injured by farming in too-cold weather without adequate clothing, were going to be walking all the way from the Lynden border that morning--20 miles from the downtown end point.  I wasn't quite ready for that, so I waited at the half way point with several others to join the march.  We waited longer than expected (we later discovered the  marchers had been waylaid at the Sikh Temple where they had been welcomed with a hotbreakfast).  I felt a bit awkward.  I didn't know most of the people and wasn't bold enough to try out my Spanish with the non-English speakers waiting. I milled about in the store where we were waiting and realized it was a Mexican store with many products imported from countries to the south of the US.  It had been a long time since I was in such a store, and never in my home county. I felt a bit out of place, but also felt pleased and interested in this new "home" experience.

I remember when we first saw the group of marchers coming towards us. A shout of pride and joy went through our own crowd (which had grown considerably by then).  I even felt tears prick my eyes, seeing that small, determined group--led by a man in wheelchair, red banners proudly proclaiming their purpose. Our crowd started to feel to me like we were together.  We cheered them as they got closer and a big round of joyful cries rang out as they arrived.  We gathered in a circle and heard some inspirational words and then set out to continue the march.

We walked along a very busy, wide road.  At first I felt somewhat fearful of our vulnerability to hostility from anti-immigrant residents driving big vehicles that could do harm.  As we walked, though, we more often had friendly honks and waves from drivers going by (I will always remember now to honk when I go by a rally—it makes such a big difference to the folks "on the ground").  Walking with people creates unique opportunities for interaction.  I ended up beside many different people, and in that setting, felt comfortable trying out my Spanish and having chats with people I Iikely would never otherwise have met.  There were many children in the march--walking or being carried.  It was easy to talk with the children or with the parents about their children. I had a proud moment when I was asked to take a turn carrying one of the big banners (it was heavy!).

The conversations, the honks, helping carry all made me feel more like a meaningful participant in the march.  What really solidfied it, though, was when we got to the next gathering place much closer to downtown.  What looked like a huge crowd on both sides of the street were cheering us on, waving new signs, welcoming our band of marchers.  I felt tears in my eyes again, experiencing our power, support and size grow with  many new, enthusiastic marchers and voices.  We were in front of the mall then, with a presence so visible, that there was no way drivers could miss us.  It is a special thing to be part of helping make something that is usually invisible so visible.

Our joyful band of marchers continued on to downtown Bellingham, rallying along the way, and attracting new marchers or people stopping to ask about our purpose.  Several members of our fellowship had joined in along the way as well.  At the park, we got to hear from many speakers, including the farmworkers who had been walking from the wee hours in Lynden.  We stood in line and ate together, spread out on the grass. I felt connected to them in a way I never had before.  It is one thing to believe in justice, but it is another to experience a real togetherness in fighting for it. When I think of Community to Community as our partner organization--marching together embodied for me the true essence of this partnership.