Washington state’s food producers concluded the 2024 growing season with negative $295 million in net income, putting our world-famous apples and cherries at risk.
But that risk is not enough for our legislators who want to gamble even more by passing Senate Bill 6045 or its companion House Bill 2409. The bills outline a creation of collective bargaining units in agriculture with no opportunity for people to opt out and offer no protections from unscrupulous employers or others.
The path to safety for our farmworker community is through encouraging legal work status, stronger law enforcement, and ensuring every farmworker understands their pre-existing right to be paid at least minimum wage and be treated with courtesy, fairness, and respect.
What Senate Bill 6045 and House Bill 2409 purport to offer are false senses of safety through paying dues to a collective bargaining unit that has no legal authority to protect workers from crimes.
Now is the time to stand up for the people who help grow our food and keep them safe by opposing Senate Bill 6045 and House Bill 2409.