We have some great news to share with you on our NY organizing campaign, where the UFW’s won six elections and have been negotiating contracts. Back in December 2023 and again in June 2024, thousands of UFW supporters took action to support 30 Jamaican H-2A workers at Cahoon farms. The workers were told they were not going to be recalled for the season due to productivity issues.
We are excited to share that we have reached an agreement after much effort and discussion with the company on the recall of the workers for the 2024 season. All of the employees who finished the season last year will be offered to return for 2024. We are continuing to negotiate the full contract in the coming weeks.
Martin is one of these farm workers and shared, “Last season, even though me and my teammates worked hard to pick every apple in our orchards, we were surprised when we were told we didn’t meet the standard. Without the union to back us up, we wouldn’t have a way to fight to get our jobs back. Last week we found out that the union made an agreement to make sure every man who worked last year still has their job at Cahoon this season. This is great news, many of us have been badly affected by the hurricane and need this job to rebuild our lives in Jamaica. We are grateful that we have a union that is fighting hard for us.“