Washington apple workers win pay raise
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BY DEAN PEOPLES
PASCO, Washington--After five weeks on strike, farm workers and their supporters cheered and applauded an announcement by Guadalupe Gamboa, state director of the United Farm Workers, that orchard owner Borden & Sons had agreed to increase pay and bring all striking workers back on the job. The announcement was made at a strike support rally here September 17.
A month earlier the apple pickers had called the union for help in their strike at Borden. The walkout spread from the Flat Top Ranch to four other Borden ranches and included about 80 percent of the pickers.
Speaking in Spanish and summarizing in English, Gamboa explained that the strike at Borden is one of several successful strikes at orchards this year where apple pickers have been forced to take action against pay cuts. Instead of paying a set rate per bin of apples, Borden and other growers began paying only the hourly minimum wage of $6.50, which meant a pay reduction of up to 50 percent for experienced pickers.
"Borden claimed they could not afford to increase pay, but many smaller companies have abandoned the minimum wage and are even paying more per bin this year. Borden is a large company. They own their own packinghouse and a golf course with a restaurant," he added.
"Leading up to this wave of strikes were two mass marches of farm workers, families, and supporters," Gamboa said, "one in Pasco in May, and one in Mattawa in August." The main themes at both marches were amnesty for undocumented workers, the right to unionize, and payment of living wages. Washington State law does not extend full collective bargaining rights to farm labor.
Daniel Varga, who has worked one year at Borden, said, "On behalf of all the other workers who could not be here today, you have contributed to an important struggle. Together we showed the growers that 'Yes we can!' or should we say 'Yes we could!' They have the laws, the courts, and the cops. But our weapons are our flags, signs, bodies, and hearts, and we showed them we could beat them."
Another striker stepped up to the microphone and said, "We need to get organized so the company will stop stepping on us. Only through winning the union can we prevent this abuse. We need to remain united. We need to raise wages to pay for our food, our rent, and to keep our kids in school. Viva la huelga! Viva la unión!"
"About half of the packinghouse workers walked out in sympathy when the orchard workers struck," said Rita Sanchez, a worker at the Borden packinghouse in Yakima. "The packinghouse workers face many of the same problems as the pickers," she said. "We get no respect from Borden. They don't listen to us, the wages are low, there is no retirement or medical plan, and seniority is not honored. So they play favorites for jobs and time off. I'm glad the pickers are returning to the orchard. I'm very happy they have won!"
The Sunday rally also concluded a three-day hunger strike by a number of strikers and supporters who took the action to dramatize the starvation wages paid to apple pickers and farm workers in general. Also speaking at the rally were support committee activist Elva Ramos; Tomás Villanueva; Jeffrey Johnson, from the Washington State Labor Council; Dolores Huerta, representing the California United Farm Workers; and others.
The union pickers had resolved not to go back until they had a written agreement from Borden on pay rates. So, before the crack of dawn, they held an expanded picket line the next morning at the Flat Top Ranch. The following day the agreement was put in writing and the pickers returned to work.
This part of the extensive land holdings of Borden & Sons lies along the banks of the Snake River about 20 miles East of Pasco. The addition by the growers of thousands of acres of irrigated fields and orchards over the past 25 years has meant a big increase in demand for agricultural labor in Washington State. Deflated prices for apples over the past few years has put the squeeze on many smaller growers. However, apple prices have rebounded this year.
As part of a national day of Amnesty and Dignity for Workers, a march to support the farm workers' struggle will assemble at Seattle Central Community College at 1:00 p.m. on October 14.
Dean Peoples is a member of the International Association of Machinists.
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