FUJ thanks supporters of farm worker bargaining bill

Legislation to enshrine farm workers’ right to organize and collectively bargain did not advance this year — but that won’t stop farm workers fighting for their rights

by FAMILIAS UNIDAS POR LA JUSTICIA

(March 3, 2026) — On behalf of all of the leadership and members of Familias Unidas por la Justicia, we would like to thank all of our supporters. This past legislative session in Olympia we drafted and supported SB 6045, a bill that would give farmworkers the right to be recognized by their employer and also collectively bargain. These are crucial rights that other unions and workers enjoy and exercise to ensure safe working conditions including fair wages. Farmworkers are some of the poorest working people in the United States. One of the reasons is that we have been systematically excluded from many benefits and rights due to a myriad of factors, one being the racist past and the denial of correcting a historical wrong. Unions were formed to uplift the working class who have literally built the country. It was not the robber barons from the gilded age, but workers who laid the groundwork.

Just like now it is not the agroindustrial companies but farmworkers who plant, pick, process, and distribute the food all across the country and the world. A crucial part of every community is the work in agriculture, however we are not compensated for our expertise or treated as the providers. Rather we are still called unskilled and disposable. The lives that have been cut short due to hard labor and the scars we carry physically and emotionally have no time to heal because we still have to show up to work every day.

Photo: FUJ

SB 6045 would have been an opportunity for us to partake in democracy at the workplace. We could choose to form our own unions, or we could choose to not be represented, but it would be our decision. Even if we did not get a floor vote this year, we still are optimistic. This last year has been especially difficult as deportations have targeted us and there were historic floods that happened in our communities. And still we show up to work. All we ask is for equal treatment. We do not despair but we rise to the occasion. We will continue to do so.

We want to thank all our supporters who made calls and emails in support of SB 6045. So many organizations came through and shared testimonies as well as making the bill a priority in their legislative agendas; we are grateful for that solidarity. The Washington State Labor Council played a big role in helping to get the bill as far as it did, so we want to thank the Council, especially President April Sims and Joe Kendo.

We want to thank Senator Rebecca Saldaña who presented the bill in the Senate and Representative Sharlett Mena in the house. Also our legal team and counsel Columbia Legal Services who gave us guidance along with Kathy Barnard

We still believe this is a good bill that needs to pass in Washington. We look forward to the next legislative session to see what can be done to improve the lives of workers. As we wait until next January we will continue to organize with farmworkers on the ground just as we have always have.

Familias Unidas por la Justicia  is an independent farm worker union of indigenous families in Whatcom and Skagit counties representing over 500 Triqui, Mixteco, and Spanish speaking workers. Learn more on their Facebook page.