Sunnyside mushroom plant lawsuit split between arbitration and court

From the Farm Worker Ministry Northwest:

United Farm Workers supporters including former mushroom worker Jose Martinez (second from left), the Rev. Connie Yost (second from right) and Kim Tyskiewicz (right), UFW Regional Director rallied in support of the Ostrom/Windmill Farms mushroom workers in advance of the June 11 hearing of the lawsuit they filed in November 2023.

From the Yakima Herald-Republic, JORDAN ALLYN & JASPER KENZO SUNDEEN, Jun 13, 2024

A United Farm Workers’ lawsuit against a Sunnyside mushroom farm survived after a hearing in Yakima Superior Court.

Superior Court Judge Jared Boswell listened to arguments Tuesday from the United Farm Workers and Windmill Mushroom Farms, also called Greenwood Mushroom Sunnyside in court documents, regarding worker allegations of labor rights violations.

Boswell decided to move the worker lawsuits against the company to private arbitration and allow for UFW’s lawsuit to remain in court.

“I’m going to have both cases running on different tracks,” Boswell said.

The lawsuit, which was filed in November 2023, is the latest step in years-long worker efforts to unionize and fight for better working conditions.

“I think it's important for the workers to see that they have access to a public forum, not a private forum like arbitration,” said UFW plaintiff attorney Edgar Aguilasocho following the decision.

The defendant’s attorney, Peter Wozniak, declined to comment but argued for arbitration during the hearing. He said the plaintiffs signed a binding agreement to arbitrate all of the claims at issue.

A rally led by UFW organizers outside the Yakima County Courthouse preceded the court hearing and included members of various community advocacy groups.

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