180 Workers Stage Walkout at Egg City
About 180 workers at the Egg City chicken ranch in Ventura County went on strike Tuesday, two days after being urged to walk out by United Farm Workers President Cesar Chavez.
Ranch officials said that the strike had only a minor effect on operations and that about 50 hourly employees stayed on their jobs. Rob Roy, the ranch’s labor lawyer, said Egg City already has hired 50 workers to replace the strikers and will continue to hire replacements.
But union officials predicted that the strike would pressure Egg City into restoring wages that two weeks ago were cut 25% to 33% by the ranch, which is operating under bankruptcy court protection. Union officials added that they will expand a consumer boycott of Egg City’s eggs beyond small markets in Ventura County.
Workers at Egg City, the world’s largest chicken ranch, have worked without a contract since their old agreement expired in September. Affected are about 230 union-represented employees at the ranch’s main operation near Moorpark and another 20 workers in San Luis Obispo County.
Tuesday’s walkout was expected in light of a call by Chavez--as he led a march through Moorpark on Sunday--for a strike and boycott. The move also was triggered in part by what union officials termed the firing of 27 workers who participated in the march instead of working. The union further alleges that the ranch last week fired another 27 employees who refused to work overtime and that it dismissed two others for unrelated reasons.
Roy maintained, however, that the ranch has not fired any workers, saying it would be illegal for the ranch to do so in the midst of a labor dispute. He said the workers who have been replaced will be put at the top of a waiting list for future openings if they decide to return.
UFW officials, for their part, avoided calling the job action a strike. Sources within the union predicted, however, that a strike will be formally called later this week, once necessary administrative actions are completed.
Karl Lawson, the UFW’s main negotiator for Egg City employees, said the union plans to boycott supermarket chains if they continue to sell Egg City eggs. In addition, he said, the union plans to boycott the McDonald’s restaurant chain if it continues to buy from Egg City.
Lawson said the pickets probably would be set up in Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles, where support for Chavez is the strongest.
Roy said ranch officials are confident that they would not be hurt by any boycott.
