Vol. 72/No. 41      October 20, 2008

After two weeks of almost daily harassment, including being called to the office and told his work was substandard, Farley was suspended on October 3 and fired October 8.

The firing of Farley is part of a broader push against the union by the company in the plant.

After being told he was suspended, Farley notified fellow union members immediately. The next day 13 workers and two union supporters met with Rafael Espinosa, a union representative from United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789, which represents workers at the plant. The workers decided to immediately get out an issue of Workers’ Voice, the newsletter put out by union supporters in the plant.

The newsletter, which was passed out at work the next day, states: “After 9 years at Dakota management says Samuel can’t do his job. This is the latest and most serious attack on all the workers at Dakota… . They want to fire Samuel because ever since 2000, when he was one of the leaders of the fight to win the union, he has always fought for the union and his coworkers. With the union leadership and other union fighters Samuel has helped fired workers get their jobs back, has exposed unsafe working conditions.” The Workers’ Voice goes on to describe how in a two-day period one shop steward alone had to represent 16 workers facing discipline, almost all for supposedly not doing their jobs.

Dave Vasquez, a shop steward at Dakota, explained the importance of fighting to win Farley’s job back. “Earlier this year, after many months fighting for the union and a contract we won more than the company wanted to give us. Now they’re trying to take as much back as they can. They’re back to their old tactics.”

“With the union we will fight this firing and all other attacks on us,” said Farley.  
 
 
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