Windmill Farms Boycott

Low wages. Grievous working conditions. Few workers in the United States face greater exploitation than migrant farm workers. In the 1970s, Cesar Chavez, motivated by his deep Catholic faith and his commitment to trade unionism, led the United Farm Workers in multiple organizing campaigns in California supported by consumer boycotts. Many Catholic social justice activists of the era cut their teeth by leafleting outside supermarkets in support of the UFW grape boycott. Today workers at Windmill Farms in Washington State are fighting to form a union with the UFW.

While most private sector workers are protected by the National Labor Relations Act, farm workers were excluded from that legislation. They can’t appeal to the federal government for a union representation election – they have to rely on strikes and boycotts to win fair treatment. That’s why the UFW is calling on supporters of farmworkers to boycott the mushrooms until the company recognizes the union and bargains a first contract. 

Given the strong Catholic ties to the UFW, you are invited to support this boycott and the farm workers involved. Windmill Farms is owned by Instar Asset Management, a Canadian private equity firm. To send them a message that you support farm workers, CLICK HERE and sign the UFW petition.