Gallo Vineyard workers vote to oust UFW, a move the union said it would challenge

[Omaha Steve]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/26/state/n141114D68.DTL

Vineyard workers vote to oust UFW

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

(06-26) 14:11 PDT Windsor, Calif. (AP) --

Gallo vineyard workers in Sonoma County voted to oust the United Farm Workers union, a move the union said it would challenge.

Preliminary results on the Monday vote indicated 125 workers voted to decertify the UFW and 95 wanted to retain it, said Fred Capuyan, regional director of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, which oversaw the election.

Twelve votes were challenged and left uncounted in the preliminary tally, not enough to reverse the outcome, which requires a simple majority.

The union challenged the vote on procedural grounds last week, saying labor relations board rules don't allow such a vote given that the contract was just renegotiated. The union can continue to pursue that objection, said Michael Lee, general counsel for the ALRB.

Efren Barajas, a UFW vice president who attended the vote at Gallo's Frei Ranch in the Dry Creek Valley, said the union is more likely to object to what he said was interference by Gallo's labor contractors. He would not specify details.

The Gallo vote follows a 2003 vote to remove the UFW from Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards. Earlier this year, the Charles Krug winery in Napa fired its unionized workers, which the UFW has challenged.

FULL story at link.

[AndreaCG]

1. I sure wouldn't trust Gallo not to interfere.

Gaahhhhh.

[Lex1775]

2. If the workers don't want the UFW to represent them anymore...

then why is the UFW fighting it? If they have the right to form a union don't the have the right to break away from one as well?

[Omaha Steve]

3. Yes they do, but....

Usually there has been a lot of illegal tactics by the employer to pressure the employees. i'm not saying that is the case here, it is just a very common pattern.

[Omaha Steve]

4. also....

The UFW challenge is on the basis that the just-renegotiated contract bars the decertification election.