University of California

6/30/97 News Release -- Western Growers Assoc.

SALINAS, CALIF. (June 30, 1997) -- Western Growers Association, along with industry partners, filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against the United Farm Workers union, Monsanto and B & G Berry Corp. today.

Organizations joining WGA in this complaint include: California Farm Bureau Federation, California Grape and Tree Fruit League, California Women for Agriculture,

Grower-Shipper Vegetable Association of Central California, Grower-Shipper Vegetable Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, Ventura County Agricultural Association and Agricultural Producers.

The charges were filed with the Agricultural Labor Relations Board in Salinas, Calif. WGA allegations of worker coercion and intimidation stem from the recent sale of Garguilo, Inc., by Monsanto to Washington, D.C. "pro-union" investors Landon Butler and David Gladstone. Immediately following the announcement of the sale, the union and Monsanto released a joint statement indicating an agreement was reached between the two organizations that "intended to result in the scheduling of a supervised election ... as soon as practical...."

"The question of collusion between the UFW and Monsanto must be resolved by the Agricultural Labor Relations Board," said David Moore, president of WGA. "The Agricultural Labor Relations Act is explicitly clear that the only individuals who can vote on whether to bring a union in are the farm workers themselves. The law forbids employers, unions or anyone else from making that decision."

The ALRA was designed to give farm workers the right to choose their collective bargaining representatives, if any, through certified, secret ballot elections. Workers must officially decide to recognize a union before elections can be held. Under California law, the employer and a union are prohibited from working out the details of an election.

"The workers’ free choice is our primary concern," said Moore. "Intimidation of workers through employer/union collusion is never beneficial. If the company does not tell the employees about the benefits of not joining a union, who will?"

WGA and its industry partners anticipate that the ALRB will investigate and hopefully render a decision that will require the union and employer to end any intimidation and coercion of the workers and cancel any pre-determined election.

WGA is an agricultural trade association whose members grow, pack and ship 90 percent of the fresh vegetables and about 60 percent of the fresh fruits and nuts in Arizona and California.