FRESNO (KMJ) — California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) has made official the decision by Gerawan Farming employees to decertify themselves from the United Farm Workers union.
The decision announced Thursday means the employees of Gerawan Farming will no longer be represented by the union. It follows the ALRB’s counting of worker’s ballots on September 18th, approximately five years after they were originally cast.
In a statement, the Gerawan Family described the move as a long overdue acknowledgement.
“Seventy-five percent of eligible Gerawan employees – nearly 2,000 farm-workers – voted in the election. Eighty percent voted ‘No Union,’ which is an over-whelming 5-to-1 majority. Whether for or against the UFW, one hundred percent of those who voted reaffirmed their basic right to choose for themselves.”
In its announcement (click here), the ALRB wrote that there was evidence of unlawful acts prior to the election in November 2013, but that did not impact the overall result.
“The Board evaluated the record on remand, and found that the unlawful and/or objectionable conduct committed by Gerawan did not interfere with the employees’ free choice to such an extent that it affected the outcome of the election. Therefore, the Board certified that a majority of the valid ballots were cast for “No Union” in the representation election”
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
