"We are organizing this union because we want to be treated with dignity and respect at work. Allan Brothers needs to recognize that our lives and security are important" (Agustin Lopez, President of Trabajadores Unidos por la Justicia"
The NLRB has filed an unfair labor practices charge against Allan Brothers, a fruit-packing company in Naches, Washington, for illegally interfering with and attempting to crush Trabajadores Unidos por la Justicia's efforts to organize a union. The NLRB will prosecute these allegations against Allan Bros. in a trial on May 4, 2021. TUJ's objections to the election will be heard, alleging that losing the election was a result of illegal coercion by Allan Bros.
TUJ started their unionizing efforts in spring 2020, in response to the company’s failure to protect employees from COVID-19. Employees formed the union, filed a petition with the NLRB, and conducted a campaign to be elected by their fellow employees to represent them in collective bargaining.
′′We are organizing this union because we want to be treated with dignity and respect at work and because Allan Bros. needs to recognize that our lives and security are important", said Agustín López, president of TUJ.′′Employees. have the right to self-organize to form a union free from illegal interference by Allan Bros." says Columbia Legal Services lawyer Alfredo González Benítez.
But from the beginning, Allan Bros. crushed TUJ's organizational efforts. According to the NLRB complaint, they banned employees from distributing union information, threatened to call police employees for distributing union literature, threatened employees because they participated in union activities while off-duty, and surveilled their employees to discover their union activities.
The complaint describes continuing efforts by Allan Bros. to suppress TUJ’s efforts to be elected as the collective bargaining representative of the workforce by giving other employees monetary benefits and awards during the union election period and undermining union support, culminating in the union losing the election.
TUJ filed a complaint with the NLRB objecting to the outcome of the election. The case will go to trial on May 4, 2021. If TUJ is successful, the election results will be set aside, the election will be held again, and Allan Brothers employees will be able to make a choice free from illegal interference.