Margarito Martinez says he was fired from the eastern Washington dairy that employed him for more than a year because he tried to unionize the company. Nine co-workers say they also were let go for affiliations with the budding union.
The owners of Ruby Ridge Dairy, though, say only two workers were fired, one for safety violations and the other for incompetence. The others quit, they said. The dairy owners don't want the union involved in the dispute, but say they're willing to do what the workers want — as long as there's a vote.
You can have all the laws you want saying owners or bosses can't do this or can't do that and they won't be effective. Why? Because they'll lie. That's all they have to do to negate the laws - Just Lie. Or unjust as it were. And what resources does a farm worker have to combat those lies. Zero. Nada. Zilch. It's not like they're coming to work wearing a wire or like there's a wire in the minds of their anti-union supervisors.
The couple say they learned some workers were disgruntled shortly before a union organizer arrived at the farm. Both say they were surprised and disappointed. They deny the workers' accusations, saying work breaks are common and employees are free to take lunches but most choose not to because they are unpaid. "We were in shock," Ruby Bengen said. "It cut me to the core."
Yeah Ruby, it's all about you. You were cut to the core by the possible formation of a union? Really? And disappointed and in shock? And now we're to believe that you righteously fired 1 person for safety violations immediately thereafter and another for a sudden case of "incompetence". And 8 other workers just decided to up and leave in this horrific economy? Really?
But, it doesn't matter what we believe. It's what we can prove. We can't prove when owners and supervisors are lying. We don't have the resources and they're getting more savvy about how they do things. Spending millions on consultants who come in to workplaces and launch a whisper war to fight unionization.
By not having unionization by employee signature, we allow owners like this time to sew the seeds of fear into their workers.
It's not right. Card signatures are not the perfect balloting system, but they're sure as hell the more fair and just process, short of having an owner followed and recorded 24/7 as they make their decisions.
The men, all immigrants from rural Mexico, have been working in the state's agricultural industry, in orchards and dairies, for years...
Many of the Ruby Ridge workers who have filed suit say they would be willing to go back to the dairy once the union dispute is resolved. Most are family men with young children and not all have found other jobs since leaving the dairy.
These are the 8 men you say just quit, eh Ruby?