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Ranchers organize vote on feedlot union issueGRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP)--Ranchers for Country Natural Beef posted election notices Oct. 21 to settle a long-simmering dispute over whether workers at the feedlots that handle their cattle want to join the United Farmworkers Union. Stacy Davies, who manages the massive Roaring Springs Ranch in Frenchglen and is on the board of Country Natural Beef, says boycotts organized by the union have hurt them economically and calling in the governor and religious leaders to settle the dispute has not worked, so they are holding their own election. The 85 workers at Beef Northwest Feeders feedlots in Nyssa, Boardman and Quincy, Wash., will vote in early November, with results to be announced Nov. 10, Davies said. Farm Workers National Vice President Erik Nicholson said they already have signed cards, verified by a third party, from a majority of workers indicating they want to join the union, and charged that intimidation of workers made any new election invalid. "Workers have clearly been instructed to vote against the union or lose your jobs," Nicholson said. "That is not democracy." Country Natural Beef is a marketing cooperative that represents more than 90 ranches and 45,000 head of cattle across the West. The cooperative was a pioneer in the movement to raise beef following sustainable grazing practices, and is certified to be free of hormones and antibiotics. Among its retail customers are Whole Foods and New Seasons groceries, Burgerville restaurants, and Bon Appetit, a college food service company. The union says it has cards signed by a majority of workers showing they want to be represented by the union in contract talks, and the cards have been verified by a third party. Davies says some of the workers have wanted to withdraw their cards supporting the union. And Beef Northwest says the union has not agreed to have the cards examined by a third party agreeable to both sides. With other labor groups, the federal government could step in and hold an election, but federal labor law does not cover agricultural workers in the same way. So Country Natural is holding an election, with cooperation from Beef Northwest, and under monitoring by a retired federal mediator. At issue is whether the Beef Northwest workers want to join the United Farmworkers, who have been trying to organize them since 2007. John Wilson, managing partner of Beef Northwest, said they shared the corporate values embraced by Country Natural Beef, including social justice for workers, and would abide by the results of the election. 11/10/08 Date: 11/5/08
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