July 22, 1998
State ‘surrenders to extortion’ in Coastal Berry Co. election
United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez issued the following statement following the decision by the Agricultural Labor Relations Board Salinas Regional Director Fred Capuyan to set an election at Coastal Berry Co. for Thursday, July 23:
Against vicious opposition, the United Farm Workers has been battling nonviolently to help some of the most exploited farm workers in California improve their lives by organizing with the union.
To block progress at Coastal Berry Co., foremen and supervisors staged two work stoppages in less than a month and ordered violence against pro-UFW workers who refused to stop working on July 1.
The UFW and Coastal Berry strawberry workers presented convincing and overwhelming evidence to the Agricultural Labor Relations Board that company foremen and supervisors organized and ordered violent attacks on pro-UFW berry pickers and law enforcement officers in the fields on July 1, and the same terrorist group forced workers to sign election petitions for a sham company union by threatening their lives and livelihoods.
This afternoon [Wednesday], I met with ALRB Salinas Regional Director Fred Capuyan together with UFW Vice President Cecilia Ruiz and national AFL-CIO representative Stephen Lerner. In a shocking revelation, Capuyan informed us that his decision to proceed with the election and count the ballots was made out of fear of further violence.
Instead of aggressively prosecuting lawbreakers who attacked workers for peacefully organizing, the state of California has surrendered to extortion and terrorism. Without enforcement of the law, how can workers have faith and confidence that they have somewhere to turn if they get beaten, fired or coerced? When the ALRB backs down in the face of violence and terrorism, it only encourages more violence and terrorism.
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