FEDERAL COURT RULING A MAJOR VICTORY FOR FLOC AND FARMWORKER RIGHTS

In a historic win for farmworkers and organized labor, FLOC and its allies overturned part of North Carolina’s Farm Act earlier this month. A federal court struck down part of the state law that would have stripped farmworkers and their union of their rights to bargain for voluntary union recognition in settling legal claims. This was in direct violation of the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. FLOC, with farmworker representatives, sued to block the implementation of the law in 2017.

“We are encouraged with this significant overturning of a state law that attacks the only Farmworker union in North Carolina,” said Baldemar Velasquez, our President and Founder. “Farmworkers are essential workers who put food on the tables of families throughout the country. They deserve better than being bullied by politicians trying to deprive them of the same rights that all other private-sector workers have.” 

FLOC felt particularly targeted by the legislation as the only farmworker union in North Carolina, covering 9,400 workers and 700 farms within the North Carolina Growers Association.

While this is a significant victory for organized labor in North Carolina, FLOC and allies are appealing the “Dues Check-off Provision” of the Farm Act, a section that prohibits agricultural producers from entering voluntary enforceable agreements to deduct union dues from farmworkers’ paychecks, a type of agreement that is available to all other private-sector workers in the state.

FLOC will continue to fight every day for farmworkers across the United States, ensuring that their rights are upheld. Join our fight for justice today, donate here to support the movement, or follow us on social media to stay up to date on future actions. 

Hasta La Victoria!