Growers File Complaint Against UFW

Seven grower groups have accused the United Farm Workers union of illegally getting a major strawberry company’s new owners to endorse employees’ right to organize. The UFW reached that accord with the buyers of Gargiulo Inc.’s strawberry operations, whose local operations are based in Watsonville. Gargiulo’s new owners, Washington investors Landon Butler and David Gladstone, also pledged to remain neutral in any such vote, UFW President Arturo Rodriguez said. Grower groups responded this week with an unfair-labor-practices complaint against the UFW; Monsanto, the previous owner of the company; and B&G; Berry Corp., the new owner. Joining the Western Growers Assn. in the complaint are the California Farm Bureau, California Grape and Tree Fruit League, California Women for Agriculture, Grower-Shipper Vegetable Assn. of Central California, Grower-Shipper Vegetable Assn. of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and Ventura County Agricultural Assn. and Agricultural Producers.