Growers see workers’ viewpoint

 

By DANIA AKKAD     
Herald Salinas Bureau

Nearly 40 years ago, John Baillie stood with the children of other Salinas Valley growers in front of InterHarvest, waving American flags.

The Salinas produce company was signing contracts with the United Farm Workers and the children were out to protest.

"We couldn’t have been 10 [years old]," said Baillie, now 47, who runs Baillie Family Farms/Tri-Counties Packing and heads the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, just like his grandfather once did.

On Monday, Baillie considered going out to the streets again — only this time, he would have been marching with the United Farm Workers and they would be in agreement: It’s time for immigration reform.

"I thought about it today," he said, "but everybody is off so somebody has to watch everything."

Instead, Baillie said he was able to fill all his customers’ orders for produce Monday morning, even though 20 percent of his work force was missing.

Many growers say the issue of immigration reform has galvanized labor and management forces in their industry, a relationship which has been more antagonistic than not — particularly during the childhoods of many current leaders of the local industry.

The charge that growers say they started proactively years ago through trips to Washington, D.C., and meetings with legislators has now brought workers out to the streets to chant and carry signs. "We’re really fighting for an economic life out here on so many fronts," said John D’Arrigo, president of D’Arrigo Brothers Co., a multi-generational family business in Salinas. "It’s to our best interests to help each other."

John Inman, a local agricultural consultant, said the reality of the industry now "is the growers have better labor relations."

"When I came here in 1965," Inman said, "labor was no different from buying seed or fertilizer."

But over time, "they realized that they need workers and they want the workers to be satisfied employees who will then stay with them. It’s cheaper to keep workers rather than to keep going through all the paper work."

On Monday, like many other agricultural employers, D’Arrigo gave workers who wanted to protest the day off, asking only that they give him advance notice. Yet, even with careful planning, the company’s bottom line will be affected.

"The whole infrastructure is set up to be at 100 percent," D’Arrigo said, "not at 10 percent. That’s just the situation and the powers that be on this side. They really felt that this was the way to make their point." "If we don’t protect our jobs," D’Arrigo said, "our providence as an ag supplying area could be diminished… I hope this is a lasting effect of finding common ground to continue to work together to protect our industry. I see this as an opportunity to build on."

"Times change," Baillie said. "That’s basically it. Times change."

Whether he’ll get into the street and protest alongside workers is another question.

"Anything is possible. I’m not going to say it won’t ever happen," he said. "If we get the ball rolling, I’ll be the first person to grab the American flag and lead the charge. The more, the merrier."