Vol. 74/No. 12      March 29, 2010

The fired workers make up about a quarter of Brewster’s population. It was the biggest firing of its kind in Washington State. Former workers have told the media that firings are still taking place.

“Many of those who were fired had worked 13 to 20 years,” said a woman who had worked for the company for three months before she was dismissed. She didn’t want her name used for fear of reprisals. “Some people have left the region to find work,” she said. “The firings have divided families. Many are without work and food. Except for the food bank at a church, no one is sending help.”

“People need to know what happened to us here,” she added. “Everyone should be legalized so we can work. Without legalization we work and pay taxes, but we get nothing in return.”

Many of the fired workers live in company-owned housing. The company has ordered them out by March 28.

Brewster is a town of about 2,000 on a small peninsula on the upper Columbia River. During the harvest thousands of workers come to the area seeking work. Gebbers Farms owns more than 5,000 acres of apple and cherry orchards. Its year-round workforce packs cherries in season and apples the rest of the year.

Some of the workers have reported that when they tried to get jobs with other companies in the region they were told that their names are on a list and they haven’t been able to get hired.
 
 
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A fight for entire working class  
 
 
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