Hear from Workers >> Anne Hurlbut
Anne Hurlbut | Sacramento, Calif.
Retired Sorter/Packer at Blue Diamond Growers |
Anne Hurlbut, 69, the grandmother of two, worked for Blue Diamond Growers for 29 years, before retiring in 2006. She was a sorter/packer and inspected thousands of almonds on conveyor belts every day. Anne says there are serious problems for workers at Blue Diamond. They have no contract to guarantee their pay, their benefits and their rights. According to Anne, one of the biggest problems is low wages. Workers did not have a pay raise for some 10 years until 2000, when they got only a 25-cent-per-hour increase. Anne says that other problems at Blue Diamond include inadequate health insurance with benefits that are too expensive for many workers, including Anne to afford. Anne says she relied on Medicare for her health coverage. In September 2004, Anne and her co-workers exercised their freedom to join a union and bargain for a better life. Anne was called into intimidating one-on-one meetings and threatened with cuts in her wages and benefits. She witnessed many women workers leave the manager’s office crying after these one-on-one encounters. The company also threatened that the plant would close and disciplined workers in retaliation for their union support. "We do our best for Blue Diamond and they throw out bonuses to management while they cut our benefits and leave us in the dust," Anne says. When she discusses why she is eager for Blue Diamond workers to have a union, she notes, "It's not about the money. We want a voice!" | 
