From our friends in UFW

Thank you for telling the Department of Labor not to cut farm worker wages during COVID19. We have a new petition we need you to sign @https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/primex-workers-fired-for-exposing-company-s-deadly-covid-19-practices?share=87d94109-eb19-4829-b0ab-1b4c1178c4cd&source=email-share-button&utm_medium=&utm_source=email.

There is a COVID19 crisis for farm workers at Primex Farms, a major nut company in Wasco CA. The situation is dire. 150 of the 400 workers have now tested positive for COVID-19. Dozens of their family members have also tested positive for COVID-19. Sadly, one Primex worker has since died.

Workers have told us they learned about colleagues testing positive from other workers and media reports, not from the company. Out of frustration with the company giving them the runaround, worker leaders staged a strike on June 25th.Workers were requesting safety measures, including social distancing, company provision of PPE such as face masks and paid sick leave for infected/exposed employees. When the company-promised improvements did not happen, workers — including those in quarantine with the virus — held a Zoom press conference that got national attention.

Now Primex is retaliating. Many of the workers who spoke out worked through an employment agency, USA Staffing. On July 22, Primex told the dozens of USA Staffing workers that they were terminated because “production had dropped” –– but then they brought in new workers the same day!

We immediately filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board and appealed to the CA Attorney general. Workers want their jobs back. Primex workers are asking you to sign their petition telling the company to rehire them, with appropriate coronavirus protections in place. 

Sign their petition now at: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/primex-workers-fired-for-exposing-company-s-deadly-covid-19-practices?share=87d94109-eb19-4829-b0ab-1b4c1178c4cd&source=email-share-button&utm_medium=&utm_source=email

Thank you for caring about farm workers!

Si Se Puede!

Jocelyn

Jocelyn Sherman
UFW Digital Director