League of Independent Workers of the San Joaquin Valley

The League of Independent Workers of the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...

is a union

Trade union

A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...

in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

Founding

Between 2002 and 2005, the cost of living

Cost-of-living index

Cost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. Changes in the cost of living over time are often operationalized in a cost of living index. Cost of living calculations are also used to compare the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living in different geographic areas...

in Livingston, California

Livingston, California

Livingston is a city in Merced County, California. Livingston is located west-northwest of Atwater, at an elevation of 131 feet . According to the 2010 census, the city population was 13,058, up from 10,473 at the 2000 census. Livingston's total area is , including undeveloped farmland annexed in...

increased substantially. In particular, house prices doubled, and rents went up.

In 2003, workers at the Foster Farms poultry

Foster Farms (poultry company)

Foster Farms is a United States West Coast poultry company. The company has been privately owned and operated by the Foster family since 1939. The company is based in Livingston, California with operations throughout the West Coast and a few on the East Coast...

plants around Livingston voted to leave the United Food and Commercial Workers

United Food and Commercial Workers

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in many industries, including agriculture, health care, meatpacking, poultry and food processing, manufacturing, textile, G4S Security, chemical...

Union, Local 1288.

In 2004, the workers organized the League, and voted to be represented by it.

In 2005, the League negotiated with Foster Farms. The League proposed a union shop

Union shop

A union shop is a form of a union security clause under which the employer agrees to hire either labor union members or nonmembers but all non-union employees must become union members within a specified period of time or lose their jobs...

contract with substantial pay increases; Foster Farms proposed an open shop

Open shop

An open shop is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union as a condition of hiring or continued employment...

contract with nominal pay increases. The League affiliated with the International Association of Machinists. Foster Farms refused to recognize the League's affiliation with the IAM. A three-day strike occurred in October 2005.

In 2006, Foster Farms and the League agreed to an open shop contract with nominal pay increases. The League's members ratified the contract on October 29, 2006.

Sources

Adam Ashton. "New union at Foster Farms wins its election."
Merced Sun-Star, November 5, 2004.
http://www.modbee.com/ag/story/9383527p-10291521c.html

Chris Collins. "Today seen as possible start of protest by workers."
Merced Sun-Star, October 25, 2005.
http://www.mercedsun-star.com/local/story/11394459p-12140487c.html

Chris Collins. "Strikers to lay down signs:
Stop-and-start protest designed to confound Foster Farms."
Merced Sun-Star, October 29, 2005.
http://www.mercedsun-star.com/local/story/11413965p-12158083c.html

Scott Jason. "Union member drive under way at Foster Farms plant."
Merced Sun-Star, November 23, 2006.
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/13045116p-13702175c.html

Founding

Sources

See also