AFT Resolution

FRESH TABLE GRAPE BOYCOTT

WHEREAS, over 36,000 United Farm Workers Employees have voted for union representation and have been unable to negotiate contracts because of the growers' total disregard for the law and refusal to bargain in good faith; and

WHEREAS, under the Republican administration of Gov. Deukmejian the enforcement of the 1975 Agriculture Labor Relations Act has become a farce: the funds have been cut, the agency gutted, and new administrative procedures make it impossible for farm workers to have access to the law that was meant to protect them; and

WHEREAS, the lack of protection under the law makes it impossible to have fair and free elections to the point where farm workers have been victims of violence; and

WHEREAS, farm workers have been poisoned every year with deadly pesticides because of inadequate laws and the absence of the enforcement of existing laws; and

WHEREAS, the only protection against this abuse of the law is a union contract: the United Farm Workers, AFL-CIO, has called for a worldwide boycott of California fresh table grapes (except the 3 percent under un­ion contract with the union label on them):

RESOLVED, that the AFT inform all locals of the grape boycott and ask their support until such time that the growers recognize the right of farm workers to have fair and free elections and negotiate in good faith.

(1986)