The talks, and perhaps the fight, is ramping up at
Foster Farms in Livingston.
In September, a solid majority of the 2,400 employees
at this Central Valley chicken processing plant voted to
affiliate their independent union with IAM District 190.
For months, the company refused to recognize the validity
of the election, even though it was fully certified by
the National Labor Relations Board. Finally, in April, a
federal court in Fresno issued an injunction against the
company, forcing them to the bargaining table.
The union and the company held their first bargaining
session on May 9. District 190 Assistant Directing
Business Rep Herman Howell and Local 2005 President
Ralph Meraz are heading up the union bargaining
team, which also includes Business Reps Jesse Juarez,
Al Lopez, Pedro Mendez and a group of 17 employees
who work in every area of the plant.
Foster Farms’ team is headed up by Bruce Conhain,
a legal consultant whose name is familiar to many
Local 1101 members because he represented the South
Bay Auto Dealers Association.
“We put forth 16 counter-proposals to the
employers’ last best and final offer, which is now over a year old,” explains
Howell. “When we met again on May 23, the company basically came in and said “No, no, no,
no, no’ to every one of our proposals.”
The union is seeking to return to the employees the wages and contract language that the company took
away three years ago, when the employees had voted to decertify their previous union. “We’re looking for
union security, a fair grievance procedure, and the
return of wages the company took away,” Howell says. “Foster Farms is trying to stack the deck against the union by including a “loser pays all” grievance process
and an open shop. If a union member in an open shop lost a grievance and had to pay, why would they ever
stay in the union. Neither of those clauses are acceptable. We’re sure not going for both!”
The union would prefer to create a partnership with the company to work in the best interests of the members.
Instead, the company is working hard to frustrate and delay the process. “By playing lots of games with
the union, the company is showing their employees how little they’re valued,” Howell added.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for June 12. At presstime, Local 2005 is holding meetings to
update the members about what has transpired during negotiations and describe the strategies the union
plans to undertake.
“If we don’t start to see some real progress,” Howell said, “we’ll take the message to the public, involve the larger community, and initiate a strategy to bring the company
to its senses.”
|
Back to Top