The struggle for dignity and workers’ rights of Familias Unidas por la Justicia at Sakuma Farms, still on in spite of the winter. The 300 plus Triqu-i and Mixteco-speaking farmworkers and their families have gone back to their home in the San Joaquin Valley. But the struggle continues in the form of “Boycott Sakuma Berries,” the fight for a contract and ensuring the workers get rehired next spring.
Excerpts from a statement by Familias Unidas por la Justica
We are 300+ predominantly Triqui and Mixteco people.
Many of us have been coming to Skagit County to pick strawberries, blueberries and blackberries for Sakuma Bros. Farms for years. Every year we have tried to ask for better wages, housing and treatment from the Sakuma Family.
After years of trying to change the conditions this season, we formed Familias Unidas por la Justicia and presented to the world the reality of working for Sakuma Bros. Farms. We elected Ramón Torres as a leader of our struggle and President of United Families for Justice (Familias Unidas por la Justicia), because we trust in him and we’re not scared. We went on strike when he was fired by Ryan Sakuma.
The Sakuma family is not willing to sit down with us. Instead, they engaged a public relations firm to spread disinformation about us. They don’t want the local community to find out that they have systematically stolen our wages, particularly our children’s wages, and blamed it on a “glitch.”
What do you call a “glitch” that has been going on for years? We checked several paystubs and found the same “miscalculations” of our wages – not just the young people but adults as well.
Sakuma Bros. Farms have also deceived the H2-A workers. They were promised $12 an hour to pick apples. Instead they are required to pick berries with piece-rate production standards equivalent to $12/hr or threatened with being fired or sent home to Mexico.
We are engaged in a labor dispute with Sakuma Berry Farms about fair wages, job security, respect at work and recognition of our Union. All we are asking is to work with them to show the world that working conditions for farmworkers can be improved.
The struggle for dignity and workers’ rights of Familias Unidas por la Justicia at Sakuma Farms, still on in spite of the winter. The 300 plus Triqu-i and Mixteco-speaking farmworkers and their families have gone back to their home in the San Joaquin Valley. But the struggle continues in the form of “Boycott Sakuma Berries,” the fight for a contract and ensuring the workers get rehired next spring.
Excerpts from a statement by Familias Unidas por la Justica
We are 300+ predominantly Triqui and Mixteco people.
Many of us have been coming to Skagit County to pick strawberries, blueberries and blackberries for Sakuma Bros. Farms for years. Every year we have tried to ask for better wages, housing and treatment from the Sakuma Family.
After years of trying to change the conditions this season, we formed Familias Unidas por la Justicia and presented to the world the reality of working for Sakuma Bros. Farms. We elected Ramón Torres as a leader of our struggle and President of United Families for Justice (Familias Unidas por la Justicia), because we trust in him and we’re not scared. We went on strike when he was fired by Ryan Sakuma.
The Sakuma family is not willing to sit down with us. Instead, they engaged a public relations firm to spread disinformation about us. They don’t want the local community to find out that they have systematically stolen our wages, particularly our children’s wages, and blamed it on a “glitch.”
What do you call a “glitch” that has been going on for years? We checked several paystubs and found the same “miscalculations” of our wages – not just the young people but adults as well.
Sakuma Bros. Farms have also deceived the H2-A workers. They were promised $12 an hour to pick apples. Instead they are required to pick berries with piece-rate production standards equivalent to $12/hr or threatened with being fired or sent home to Mexico.
We are engaged in a labor dispute with Sakuma Berry Farms about fair wages, job security, respect at work and recognition of our Union. All we are asking is to work with them to show the world that working conditions for farmworkers can be improved.
