UFW represents Wonderful Nurseries; but workers claim it’s untrue. Here’s what we found

Reality Check is a Fresno Bee series holding those in power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email tips@fresnobee.com.

With signs that said ‘We don’t want union! Hear our voices,’ more than 100 workers from Wonderful Nurseries in Wasco demonstrated their discontent outside the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) office in Visalia.

The workers, the vast majority Spanish-speaking, said they don’t want to be part of the United Farm Workers.

The UFW was certified on March 4 as the organizing union for 640 workers at Wonderful Nurseries — North America’s largest grapevine nursery. The UFW submitted 327 valid authorization cards to establish majority support.

Wonderful promptly filed a motion with the ALRB contesting the election results and requesting an immediate stay of certification.

Wonderful has a 90-day deadline from the date of the certification to reach a labor contract with UFW or face mandatory mediation.

“The ALRB is committed to following the law and ensuring a fair process for everyone,” said Yesenia De Luna, ALRB Region Two Regional director about the March 27 demonstration in Visalia.

UFW and Wonderful have filed charges against each other with the ALRB.

The UFW claims that Wonderful Nurseries has coerced workers into making false statements. Wonderful alleges UFW organizers misled almost half of the farmworkers who signed the union authorization cards.

UFW also filed a new unfair labor charge one day prior to the demonstration claiming that Wonderful Nurseries was coercing workers to attend the anti-union demonstration in Visalia.

“Having won a union certification, Wonderful Nurseries workers have the right to negotiate their union contract. The employer is attempting to overturn the certification workers earned with a campaign of lies and intimidation – denying workers the opportunity to bargain in good faith for the benefits and improvements that will come with a union contract,” said Erika Navarrete, UFW vice president in a Wednesday press release.

Wonderful Nurseries, in an email, said its employees “on their own accord, gave up their pay to travel and protest the state labor board and the UFW and say they did not want to be part of any collective bargaining or organizing effort.”

In a previous statement, Wonderful Nurseries president Rob Yraceburu said, “Our company’s history of working with agricultural workers is rooted in mutual trust, collaboration, and respect, all of which stands in contrast to the UFW actions.”

Dressed in orange reflective vests, the workers loudly chanted in Spanish “No Queremos Unión. Escuchen nuestras voces. No nos ignores” (We don’t want a union, hear our voices. Do not ignore us) as they made their way into the ALRB parking lot.

“There are about 120 people asking that something fair be done, that they remove us from the union because they stole our identity, they stole our signatures with a lie saying that they gave us $600 and that nothing would happen and here are the consequences,” said María Gutiérrez in Spanish. “It is not fair that they (UFW) treat us badly as if we did not know, as if we were ignorant people who were not going to realize one day.”

Many of the workers entered the ALRB saying they have evidence of misconduct by the union. The workers said they were deceived by the union to get their signature.

“The ALRB is diligently investigating the claims in this matter. A hearing is also underway where all parties will have the opportunity to be heard,” De Luna said.

De Luna said a virtual hearing on the dispute took place on March 25. An in-person hearing is scheduled for April 9 in Bakersfield.

Claudia Chávez, who has worked at Wonderful Nurseries for 20 years, said in Spanish that the UFW “does not help. On the contrary, they come and harm us. In what way are they going to help us by stealing signatures? That is not helping the farmworker. Lies don’t help”.