February 28 will Feature Attorney Joshua Viau of Fisher & Phillips LLP
In 2019, the NY legislature passed the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act which, among other things, gave farmworkers the right to organize and join unions. Apple growers in the Hudson Valley are being targeted by the United Farm Workers of America, which is the farmworker union from California. They have filed five petitions that we know of and are soliciting signatures from workers here and in the workers' home countries. Under New York's law, there is no secret ballot election in most cases. All the union has to do is get more than half of your workers to sign union cards. Then they file a petition with the state and unless you can show that the cards are invalid or that the union does not actually have a majority, you will be required to negotiate for a contract with the union representatives. Because of this, it is very important to get out ahead of this BEFORE you get a petition. Once the union files a petition, you will be fighting an extremely difficult battle. Please join attorney Joshua Viau of Fisher Phillips to discuss preventative strategies for dealing with this issue.
Upcoming Events
2024 Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings
April 25, 2024 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 1 of 4
Newark, NY
Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Osatuke, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
May 30, 2024 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 2 of 4
Lockport, NY
Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Osatuke, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
June 27, 2024 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 3 of 4
Penn Yan, NY
Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Osatuke, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
July 25, 2024 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 4 of 4
Mexico, NY
Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Osatuke, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
2nd Annual WNY Fruit Grower Tour
August 13, 2024
We are excited to announce the second annual Western New York Fruit Grower Tour, the premier fruit tour of the northeast brought to you by Cornell Cooperative Extension's Lake Ontario Fruit Program and Lake Ontario Ag Consulting, LLC! Located in Orleans County, this orchard field day will highlight new and existing products, chemistries, practices, technologies & equipment that shape the orchard industry today. The Western NY Fruit Grower Tour will again combine two past orchard tour events, the LOF Summer Fruit Tour and the Wayne County Fruit Grower Tour, giving industry members the opportunity to conveniently showcase their product offerings to ONE unified group at ONE time and place!
Save the Date - Western NY Fruit Conference - February 4-5, 2025
February 4 - February 5, 2025 : Western NY Fruit Conference
Rochester, NY
For the 2nd year in a row, we'll be having the Western NY Fruit Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Rochester! It will be another 1 1/2 day conference. Stay tuned for program and registration info as we get closer.