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Mother's Day Dole negotiations
Tell Dole to negotiate with flower workers for Mother’s Day
This Mother’s Day, take a moment to support the flower workers that produce the roses and carnations for your bouquets.
Last week, Dole started negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement with the independent union Sintrasplendor. The agreement will apply to workers at the Splendor-El Rosal farm, and the Splendor-El Corzo farm where less than 10% of the workers remain after Dole announced last October that it was closing the plantation. Dole initiated negotiations only because the Ministry of Social Protection required it to do so before fully closing, and after the first few rounds, they have already shown that they are not proceeding in good faith.
The workers’ simple demands include salary increases, job stability, and employment at El Rosal for the few workers who remain at the Corzo farm. Dole has not taken the negotiations seriously, or responded to any of the workers’ key concerns-- even to present counter-offers or let the workers know what salary increase might be possible based on the company’s current financial situation. Send a letter to Dole demanding they negotiate in good faith with their workers.
You can also support flower workers’ rights by choosing to buy certified flowers from programs that promote safe and decent working conditions and protection for the environment. Look for VeriFlora certified flowers at your local supermarket, florist shop, or at www.OrganicBouquet.com. Keep an eye out also for Fair Trade Certified flowers which will be available by next Mother’s Day!
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Negotiate in good faith at Splendor-El Rosal farm
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am very concerned to hear that, as Mother's Day approaches, Dole Fresh Flowers is violating the rights of the Colombian workers producing the bouquets sold all over the United States for this special holiday.
Not only did you announce the closure of the flower plantation with the largest independent union last October, but now you are refusing to negotiate in good faith with the remaining unionists at Splendor Flowers - El Rosal. The right to collective bargaining, like the right to freedom of association, is a core labor right, established by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and ratified by Colombia.
I strongly urge you to respond to workers' petitions and stop using delay tactics to avoid negotiating with workers about their most pressing concerns.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
May 10, 2007
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Most of the roses grown in Colombia are exported to the United States. Dole is the sole U.S. wholesaler that owns flower plantations abroad, including about 20 farms in Colombia.
Two-thirds of Colombian and Ecuadorian flower workers suffer from work-related health problems, including headaches, nausea, impaired vision, miscarriages, congenital malformations, and neurological problems. Efforts to organize independent flower worker unions have been consistently thwarted in Colombia and Ecuador, through a combination of illegal firings, discriminatory treatment, intimidation, and the use of company-backed unions.
The Sintrasplendor union was formed by workers at one of Dole's Colombian flower plantations, Splendor Flowers, in November 2004. Despite Dole’s vigorous anti-union campaign, the union received its legal registration in March 2005, becoming the first democratic union to receive legal recognition on a Dole flower plantation in Colombia.
In October 2006, Dole announced that it would close the larger farm (El Corzo) at Splendor Flowers. Of more than 1,000 workers at that farm, only 80 remain who the company has not been able to pressure to voluntarily resign. On May 2, 2007, Dole began collective bargaining negotiations with the workers at the other smaller farm at Splendor Flowers (El Rosal), at the insistence of the Ministry of Social Protection. The Ministry of Social Protection has not yet approved the closure of El Corzo, preventing Dole from firing the remaining 80 workers.
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