Fired Workers May Get Jobs Back

A labor judge recently ruled against a Yakima fruit packing business for firing 15 workers in 1996.

George Joseph Orchard Siding Inc., a Yakima Valley-based company, was charged by the Teamsters Union with improperly terminating employees who participated in union organizing activities.

After a nine-day hearing, which included testimony by current and former George Joseph employees, administrative law Judge Clifford Anderson ruled the company should rehire the workers and pay them lost wages.

Anderson recommended that the company “weeded out” the workers under the guise of modernizing its Golden Delicious apple packing line. One supervisor testified that the company used negative job evaluations as a pretext to not recall certain employees after the modernization was complete.

“George Joseph broke the law,” said Martha Bello, one of the workers who lost her job. “All we did was exercise our rights under the law. For this they took away our ability to make a living.”

But the company still insists that the employees weren’t fired because of their union activities. Anderson’s decision now goes to the NLRB in Washington, D.C., for final review. George Joseph’s attorney plans to fight the judge’s recommendation.

“It’s wrong,” said Ryan Edgley, attorney for the company. “(Anderson) basically said all the objective evidence was in favor of the company, but he based his decision on the testimony of one witness.

“Based upon the evidence, we feel the decision will be reversed,” he said.

Though George Joseph doesn’t have any other pending unfair labor practice charges, at least two other Washington packing plants do.

Washington Fruit of Yakima and Stemilt Growers Inc. of Wenatchee both face hearings before administrative law judges this summer on charges brought by the Teamsters Union.