Ag labor concerns are growing on the West Coast where the challenge seems to worsen by the day.
With the cost of doing business on the rise, the Worker and Farmer Labor Association says that unionizing workers could create even more unnecessary burdens.
According to the association’s Enrique Gastelum, “I believe unions have their place in certain businesses and industries. Workers can already, like here in Washington, can get together and can discuss issues as a group, as an individual with their employer, and talk about things.”
With so many different protections put in place, Gastelum asks what is the point?
“As we look at the states of Washington, Oregon, and California, our states have already extended and provided a ton of workers’ rights and benefits and privileges. Paid sick leave, paid family medical leave, and we’ve go the new long-term care law on the books in Washington. You have ag overtime. You’ve got various other different protections. You know, we have an AEWR, adverse effect wage rate, under H-2A, that’s $3 over the state minimum wage,” he explains. “And so, what is a worker going to be bargaining for when there’s already all these protections in place?”
Gastelum says that may seem like a great thing to some people but could drive a wedge between employers and employees. He says that many do not acknowledge the effect unions could have on agriculture, not just in the Pacific Northwest, but nationally.
