Farm workers, supporters tell Bank of the West: Don’t tolerate sex bias!

Farm workers and supporters on Thursday will pass out leaflets at bank branches in California, Oregon, and Washington urging Bank of the West to take immediate steps to stop blatant sex discrimination by one of its biggest clients, a giant dairy in rural eastern Oregon. Thousands of email protests will also go to the bank from a mass Internet appeal issued by the United Farm Workers on Thursday.

Bank of the West gave a $101 million line of credit to Threemile Canyon Farms. In September 2005, women farm workers filed a second sexual bias lawsuit since 2004 against the dairy. The first suit was settled out of court in September 2004 for nearly $200,000, and a pledge by the huge dairy to hire female employees. Since the settlement, it hasn’t employed any women.

Dairy owner A.J. Bos said, “I don’t want women at the farm—they are only good for the bed,” according to sworn declarations from 12 current Threemile Canyon farm workers.

Top labor and religious leaders are urging Bank of the West, with 480 branches in 16 states, to pressure Threemile Canyon Farms to end discrimination and resolve its dispute with the UFW, says union Pacific Northwest Regional Director Erik Nicholson. A majority of workers at the dairies located at Threemile Canyon Farms have signed authorization cards indicating their desire for the UFW to represent them.

“Bank of the West has a moral responsibility to ensure all workers have the right to work and that all workers are treated fairly where they work,” said Nicholson. “Today, we’re asking Bank of the West customers to demand that the bank put this responsibility into action.”

On Nov. 10, representatives of the UFW, accompanied by top religious and labor leaders, announced an international campaign to demand Bank of the West take action to address the issues at Threemile Canyon Farms. On that same day, three women filed the second sexual discrimination lawsuit against the farm for sexual discrimination.

Leafleting will take place in the following cities. California: Ventura, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Bakersfield, and Los Angeles. Oregon: Pendleton, Madras, Salem, Beaverton, and two locations in Portland. Washington State: Yakima, Sunnyside, and Tri-Cities.

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