Labor Board Files Complaint Against Second Fruit Grower Washington Fruit Allegedly Attempted To Keep Its Employees Out Of Union

Another Central Washington fruit com pany and its hired consultant have been charged with unfair labor practices surrounding a union election in January.

The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint Friday against Washington Fruit of Yakima regarding the time around an election where employees voted on joining the Teamsters Union. The complaint comes several weeks after the NLRB filed similar charges against Stemilt Growers Inc. of Wenatchee and the same consulting firm, AgRelate Inc. of California.

The complaint alleges the company told employees they could lose their jobs if they continued to participate in union activities, said it would close the plant before dealing with the union and threatened employees with an Immigration and Naturalization Service raid after the election. The consulting firm was included in several charges.

“We’re set to go to hearing on the charges which are remaining,” said Rick Plath, president of Washington Fruit. “But I think about an equal number of charges have been dropped.”

He said he is looking forward to responding to the allegations.

The Teamsters Union has been working for more than two years to organize fruit warehouse workers in Central Washington. At both Stemilt and Washington Fruit, workers voted against joining the union by narrow margins. In the past year, the union has filed more than 10 unfair labor practice charges against each firm.

The issue is set to go before an administrative law judge in Yakima on Aug. 4.