United Farm Workers’ Contract Covers H-2A Workers

The United Farm Workers (UFW) and a key supplier of farm labor from foreign countries announced April 11 they have signed “the first nationwide union contract protecting agricultural guest workers.”

Arturo Rodriguez, UFW president, said the pact with Global Horizons, Los Angeles, one of America’s largest suppliers of agricultural guest workers, is “an historic breakthrough for farm workers.”

The contract, according to Rodriguez, will provide agricultural guest workers with:

• A 2 percent pay increase over the Adverse Effect Wage Rate required by federal law, which is always higher than the state or federal minimum wage. It is now $9.01 in Washington state, where the agreement was signed.
• Employer-paid medical care while workers are in this country.
• Paid work breaks.
• Seniority, so workers are hired or laid off based on their time of service.
• Paid bereavement leave when a family member dies, including paid round-trip transportation to their country of origin plus further leave time if required.
• Protection from retaliation for workers who complain through the grievance and binding mediation process.

Rodriguez and Global Horizons President Mordechai Orian signed the pact. The contract “would not have happened without Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire and her administration aggressively holding the company accountable for observing state laws over the past two years,” Rodriguez said.

The agreement follows two years of UFW criticism of the company regarding wages and working conditions for guest workers. Global Horizons brings foreign workers to the United States under the federal H-2A guest worker program. The program allows a labor contractor to bring in foreign workers if it can prove workers can’t be found locally.

According to company information, Global Horizons was founded in 1989 by Orian to move workers from areas of surplus to areas needing labor. It operates worldwide.

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries and Employment Security Department repeatedly accused the company of violating state wage and labor law, according to UFW. Last December, the state revoked the company’s operating license.

The company’s Washington license remains revoked, but the new agreement brings two feuding factions to the same side of the table, according to UFW.

Company officials are negotiating to reinstate the company’s license in time for summer, when Pacific Northwest growers will be looking for workers.