Marzo 10, 2016
Apple workers take a stand against sexual harassment
In 2010, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against Evans Fruit in Yakima, Washington, one of the largest apple producers in the United States, following complaints of sexual harassment and retaliation towards the company’s workers. The lawsuit was settled in January of 2016 when the company agreed to pay $272,000 to the 20 claimants who had raised their voices to defend their right to a safe workplace.
On March 7, 2016, one of those claimants and the lawyers who represented her in the case shared their stories and information about the case on Radio Bilingüe. The apple worker, Aurelia García, said,
“I worked for Evans Fruit in 2006. I worked for 2 or 3 weeks. When I met Juan, when I started to work with him, our cars were very far from the area where we worked, and he tried to take me to the area where I was going to start working. I got into his truck. I trusted him because he was the supervisor. When I went to get out of the truck he grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let me out. I pulled and got out. He tried to grab my leg but I figured out a way to get out. That was it, but later he kept saying that he wanted me to have a baby with him. He would say it to me all the time.
“Since he was my supervisor… I didn’t know who to tell, until I got a letter from the Commission, and I decided to answer it.”
Thanks to these complaints by Aurelia and her coworkers, many changes are taking place in the state, said Blanca Flores, an attorney with the Northwest Justice Project in Yakima. Many more companies now have protocols and training for their staff about sexual harassment. “The impact has been tremendous, and this only happens when people have the courage to do something,” she said.
Click here to listen to the radio program, and here and here to learn more about how to protect yourself from sexual harassment and violence. See this page for the phone numbers of the EEOC and other organizations that can support you in defending your labor rights.
Photo: Kristina Servant, Flickr.