Boycott Case Farms, Support the Workers!

Before moving back to the Bronx in June I had lived in Northeast Ohio for the past five years while I studied and worked at Oberlin College. Many of my friends were active with the Immigrant Worker Project and not for profit group that helps Latino/a im/migrants living in rural Ohio navigate the American medical and legal system and fight for more humane and accountable work conditions. Ohio is the largest producer of eggs in the nation and the basic human rights violations and dangerous work conditions in many of Ohio's large poultry farms are well documented. Please support the workers at Case Farms in their struggle to create a more humane work place.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --- July 17, 2008

Today at 10am workers at Case Farms, poultry processor in North Central Ohio, walked off the job on strike. After voting for representation by UFCW 880, in a vote of 192 to 99 over a year ago, company just stalled and failed to negotiate in good faith.

The committee of immigrant workers from Guatemala and Mexico, and local workers from Ohio and Puerto Rico meet with the company for over a year. Instead of negotiating in good faith the company has fired union organizers, increased line speed and given raises to their non-union plant in North Carolina. The company’s final offer was a 12 cent increase for workers that have only one pay raise since 2001, of 35 cents! These are the lowest wages of any poultry factory in Ohio.

This is not negotiating in good faith this is an insult. Case Farms has a history of bad working conditions and questionable labor recruitment practices. (See the case of Castillo v. Case Farms of Ohio, Inc. 96 F. Supp. 2d 578 (D. Ohio 1999).

The workers of Case Farms have voted 294 to 12 to go on strike. At 10am on July 17^th, 2008 workers began to walk off the line. These workers have risked everything for dignity and justice in the workplace.

We need your help:

• Contact Case Farms and tell them to negotiate in good faith!
• Case Farms - Processing Plant & Administrative Office
  1818 County Road 160
  Mail to: P.O. Box 185 (44690)
  Winesburg, Ohio 44690
  330-359-7141, telephone
  330-359-6482, fax

• Send a letter of Support to the Workers!
• Case Farms Workers Committee
  Care of: MIGUATE
  818 Boulevard St
  Dover, OH 44622

• Ask your favorite local grocery store or fast food to not buy Case Farms products, to not buy products with the Establishment Number for Case Farms which is EST P (for poultry) 15724, it is included on any bag or box that they ship.

Immigrant Worker Project

PO Box 57

Wooster, Ohio 44691

Phone: 330-454-2220