(SACAMENTO, CALIFORNIA) - Workers at Ace Tomato in California are tired of waiting.

They’re also tired of dirty bathrooms, the lack of fresh water and decades of low pay.

You might ask, why don't they vote for a Union?

They did - back in 1989! 

But, more than two decades later they’re still waiting for a Contract. 

And the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB), California's Legal Agency charged with protecting the Workers, did nothing but shuffle paperwork.

However, the United Farm Workers (UFW) Union fought for and passed a Law in California requiring Employers to negotiate in good faith or face mandatory mediation.

The way this works is a mediator speaks to both sides and neutrally sifts through both sides' documents and recommendations and at the end submits a report of terms to the ALRB which is essentially a contract.  Both sides have the right to review this report and object.  Then the ALRB either agrees with the objections to the report or rejects them.  If they reject the objections, the report becomes a Contract that both sides must legally abide by.

After several months of discussion, a Mediator submitted his report to the ALRB on June 28th.  As expected, the Company objected, but on July 25th the ALRB ruled against the Company and ordered Ace Tomato to implement the final Mediator's Report as the Contract.

But it appears the Company - instead - decided to follow their normal delaying tactics that have worked so well and ignored the Board Order.

When the UFW learned the Wage Increases and other improvements were not happening, the Union asked the ALRB to go to Court to force the Company to follow the Law and implement the Contract the Workers have been waiting more than 20 years.

The ALRB could have and should have immediately gone to Court when the Company thumbed their nose at the Law.  Instead they sent the Company a letter saying they would give them until August 7th to respond to the UFW’s request.

The Workers are furious that the ALRB is again opening the door to the Company's delaying tactics.  Workers know from experience that given an inch, this Company can keep up the delaying tactics for years, UFW Officials said.

Ace Tomato Workers were scheduled to travel to the California Capitol City of Sacramento to hold a Picket Line in front of the ALRA's Office to demand the ALRB get a Court Order to tell the Company to immediately comply with the Law.