PORTLAND OREGONIAN

July 17, 2007

Boardman dairy, laborers approve pact
Collective bargaining - The first such large contract in the state could open the way for other farmworkers
 
ALEX PULASKI
The Oregonian
 

Workers at Oregon's biggest dairy announced Monday that they have signed a collective-bargaining agreement -- the first such large-scale agricultural contract in the state.

The three-year agreement potentially offers hope to thousands of fieldworkers statewide, but it doesn't clarify uncertainty about labor negotiations in agriculture. In the case at hand, the employer chose to negotiate after years of union pressure on its buyers; under Oregon law, it was not obligated to do so because farmworkers are excluded from
collective-bargaining rights.

"We are desperately looking for a solution to this problem," said Tim Bernasek, general counsel for the Oregon Farm Bureau.

The struggle between the United Farm Workers union and Threemile Canyon Farms in Boardman began bitterly in 2003, with workers filing suit and complaining that they were shorted wages and not being given breaks.  Later, workers complained that laborers supporting the union had been fired.

In recent months, however, as an agreement neared, the union toned down rhetoric and stopped pressuring some of Threemile Canyon's biggest accounts.

The agreement governs about 250 workers at the dairy, which has about 16,000 milking cows. Precise details of the contract were not announced, but the union said the agreement includes language guaranteeing a safe working environment and formalizing a process for employee promotions.

Workers also can participate in a UFW medical and pension plan.

"This is an important milestone for Threemile Canyon Farms," Marty Myers, the farm's general manager, said in a written statement.

Jesus Hernandez, a Threemile Canyon dairy worker who headed a union negotiating committee, said he was relieved to see the struggle over.

"I'm very happy," he said. "We've earned the respect of the company and security at work."

Erik Nicholson, the union organizer who led the campaign to pressure the dairy's buyers, said the resulting negotiations had set a precedent for how agriculture can function in Oregon.

And Arturo Rodriguez, president of the California-based UFW, said he hopes the union can make further inroads in Oregon.

"This is just the beginning," he said.

But Bernasek, the farm bureau attorney, said he is unsure what the future holds. The farm bureau has made several attempts in recent years to pass bills governing collective bargaining, without success.

Though farmworkers in Oregon are excluded from collective-bargaining rights, their prospective unions have been able to pressure institutions with which the primary employer does business -- an avenue normally closed under collective bargaining.

"Right now, a union can go after customers and financial institutions and bring a company to its knees," Bernasek said. "There's got to be a better way."