Farmworkers and CAUSE

Workers at the Rancho Laguna farm in Santa Maria were concerned about possible COVID-19 cases among their crew, including their foreman, but the employer was not providing information about cases or possible exposures. Crew members were working close together, not able to distance, and had extra work from cleaning and disinfection protocols that had been added to their work day, with no additional compensation. They were earning $1.90 per box of strawberries picked, and organized to ask for a 10-cent raise per box.

CAUSE – The Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy – is a base-building organization that builds grassroots power through community organizing, leadership development, coalition building, civic engagement, policy research, and advocacy.

Learn more about the campaign and specific strategies below.
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2020

May 4 - 5

Workers walk off the job

Over 100 workers, many of whom are indigenous workers from Mexico, participate in a walk out to demand 10 cents more per box of strawberries. In response, the employer calls the sheriff’s department. Workers report that they are either let go, reassigned, or given more difficult work.

May 5

Workers connect with CAUSE

Because of the employer’s response and retaliation, workers contact the Mexican Consulate. They are also concerned about immigration-related retaliation, including deportation. Since CAUSE had built a relationship with the Consulate over several years, they are called to see how they can support the workers.

May 7

Meeting between ALRB and workers

CAUSE coordinates a phone meeting with workers and the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) attorneys to talk about retaliation as a result of concerted activity (when 2 or more workers get together to ask for a change at work). CAUSE partners with MICOP (Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project) to provide interpreters for the Mixteco speakers during the call, and addresses other language and technology barriers so that workers can join the call.

May 8

Retaliation claim with ALRB

CAUSE files a retaliation complaint with ALRB on behalf of the workers, stating that Rancho Laguna unlawfully fired workers and called law enforcement to the fields to retaliate against the workers.

May 12 - 21

Workers raise COVID-19 concerns

30 – 40 workers join meetings with CAUSE to strategize and they raise concerns about COVID-19. While there are rumors about COVID-19 cases, the employer is not informing them about cases or possible exposures, nor is he providing any information to workers in Mixteco, the language that many understand best.

Link to Driscoll’s is identified

Workers tell CAUSE that the strawberry boxes they use are labeled Driscoll’s. CAUSE does research and confirms that Rancho Laguna is a supplier for Driscoll’s, the largest berry distributor in the world. They decide to focus on Driscoll’s so that they in turn will put pressure on Rancho Laguna.

May 24

Workers’ petition to Driscoll’s

Worker leaders ask their co-workers to sign a petition demanding 1) fair wages, 2) safe conditions, including protections against COVID-19, and 3) respect – an end to retaliation. 75 workers sign the petition.

May 28

Attempt to deliver petition

Over 15 farmworkers supported by dozens of community members and organizations attempt to present the worker petition at the Driscoll’s cooling factory. A manager refuses to receive it and Driscoll’s calls the police to remove the workers. Afterwards, CAUSE mails Driscoll’s a copy of the petition.

May 29

Broader community support through online petition

CAUSE launches a petition online on Action Network. This gathers the support of over 62,000 people across the country. The signatures are printed – 20 on a page – and a huge stack is delivered to Driscoll’s at an event that also drew many local supporters and the media.

Social media reach expands

Many people amplify the story on social media and call for a boycott of Driscoll’s. A TV news host connects with the campaign through the social media site Brown Issues and calls on Driscoll’s President to respond to workers.

May 31

Meeting with Driscolls’ President

6 workers, CAUSE organizers, and one city council member meet via phone with Driscoll’s President and his team. He commits to following up on health and safety issues, including access to sufficient shade.

June

Rancho Laguna employer announces additional raise and COVID-19 measures

Workers and CAUSE attend a meeting with the employer, mediated by staff of one of the county supervisors. The employer sends a memo to the farm’s 600 employees announcing a raise to $2.10 per box and his commitment to respecting workers’ rights, and another memo (pdf) describing COVID-19 policies. The company agrees to meet the workers’ requests for more shaded break areas, tripling the shade so they can distance during their breaks, and to implement a training program for supervisors focusing on communication, conflict resolution, and “respecting dignity when giving orders.”

December

ALRB announces settlement for retaliation claim

212 farmworkers will receive checks from the $30,000 settlement, to compensate them for the lost work time when they were fired illegally. In addition, Rancho Laguna agrees to allow the ALRB to conduct training about workers’ rights and to respect workers’ rights to concerted activity.