Building Better Lives In Solidarity With Washington State Farm-Workers
Jason Holland, Local 365 member, wins Mother Jones Award for stepping up to help local farm-workers organizing for better wages
When we talk about building better lives, we’re also talking about working together to help make our workplaces safer places to be. That means showing up to support hard-working men and women in your community, because it’s the right thing to do. UFCW Local 365 member Jason Holland knows very well what it means to step up and do right by others – which is why he was recently honored with the Mother Jones Award from the Washington State Labor Council.
After four years of fighting for a fair labor contract through strikes and boycotts, the workers at Sakuma Brothers Farms in Burlington and Mt. Vernon, Washington were able to secure fair, living wages. The farm-workers, from Oaxaca, Mexico realized that there was strength in numbers – which is why they formed the first new farm-worker union in the country in over 20 years, Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ).
Using his law degree from Vanderbilt University, Jason supported FUJ’s efforts by writing the contract the workers would bring to the negotiating table. He marched and protested alongside FUJ in solidarity, receiving no compensation for his work – besides knowing he stepped up to help fellow hard-working men and women in need of a strong union family.
Congratulations, Jason. Cheers to a well-deserved award!