After negotiating an $11 an hourly pay increase for Gerawan workers, plus a 10 percent increase for all other crew and cultural employees effective July 1, United Farm Workers National Vice President Armando Elenes further proposed that Gerawan increase the hourly base rate to $15 an hour plus an additional 15 percent increase for other crew and cultural workers. The union also asked Gerawan to agree to a 15 percent increase for all piece rates and urged the company to apply all pay hikes to the many company employees hired through farm labor contractors. Gerawan refused to apply the wage increases to farm labor contractor employees working at the company.
In a July 2 letter to company attorney Ron H. Barsamian, the UFW’s Elenes also urged “that Gerawan Farming cease to illegally refuse to implement the contract so that employees may enjoy the full benefits, rights and protections offered by the contract.” The union has calculated that Gerawan owes the majority of its employees approximately $1,256 each in pay raises and benefits retroactive to July 2013 under terms of the union contract issued by the neutral state mediator and the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board. The total amount of money Gerawan owes its 5,000 workers under the contract is estimated to exceed $6.2 million.