Thanks to United Methodist Women and many others, Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc., responded to pressure to improve working conditions in the strawberry fields.
In a statement issued by Driscoll Strawberry Associates, they state, "we support the following rights for strawberry workers to organize or not under the provisions of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act; the right to seek enforcement of laws and regulations for proper field sanitation, clean drinking water and washing facilities; and the right to work in a discrimination-free environment."
The statement continues, "We require all of our contract growers to abide by the applicable laws and regulations governing such conditions and conduct, and will encourage the strawberry industry to continue to recognize these basic rights."
The Women's Division, along with the National Strawberry Commission for Workers' Rights, will continue to monitor the situation and support strawberry workers' in their fight to secure their basic rights. We encourage United Methodist Women and others to continue conveying support of the strawberry workers and to ensure that Driscoll Strawberry Associates follows through with their pledge to these people.
To encourage Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc., to act on their commitment, contact
Ken Morena, President of
Driscoll Strawberry Associates
345 Westridge Drive
P.O. Box 50045
Watsonville, CA 95077-5995
Phone: (408) 761-5301
FAX: (408) 761-1090
For more information on United Methodist Women's role in this campaign, contact Sung-Ok Lee, executive secretary for community action, at the Women's Division.