LCLAA 17TH NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP CONVENTION
ORLANDO, FL
AUGUST 4-8, 2008

RESOLUTION:

2. A Resolution supporting the workers at the Blue Diamond Growers almond processing plant and their efforts to join the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), and urging Blue Diamond to agree to a free and fair vote.

WHEREAS, LCLAA supports unionizing efforts across the country and denounces any actions taken by employers to intimidate, threaten, and harass workers who try to form unions; and

WHEREAS, Unions have always played a vital role in raising the living and working standards of all Americans; and

WHEREAS, Latino/a workers who belong to unions earn almost 50% more than their non-union counterparts, and are more likely to have health insurance; and

WHEREAS, Blue Diamond Growers headquartered in Sacramento, California is the largest almond processing facility in the world, and Latino/a workers make up nearly half of Blue Diamond's workforce; and

WHEREAS, Blue Diamond has chosen to respond to the efforts of its employees to join the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) with an "aggressive union avoidance campaign" and the National Labor Relations Board has found the company guilty of 20 violations of labor law; and

WHEREAS, despite the NLRB ruling, Blue Diamond's anti-union campaign created a lingering atmosphere of fear among the workers; and

WHEREAS until the Employee Free Choice Act passes, U.S. labor law will continue to give an unfair advantage to employers and do little to protect workers' freedom to choose a union ; now

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement supports the workers of Blue Diamond Growers in their efforts to join the ILWU; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That LCLAA condemns Blue Diamond for waging an aggressive anti-union campaign and violating the National Labor Relations Act; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That LCLAA National send a letter calling on Blue Diamond to sign on to ground rules for a fair and free vote on union representation for people who work at its Sacramento plant. These rules shall include provisions for equal access by union representatives in the weeks leading up to the vote, and for conducting the vote at a neutral place, supervised by a neutral third party.

Respectfully submitted by Karen Bernal,
Executive Board member
LCLAA Sacramento Chapter.

REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE:_________________________________________________
CONCURRENCE:_____________________________
NON-CONCURRENCE:________________________