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Title: Hoss Farm Letter for Certification
Description: Advising employer that union has applied for certification. Mentions violation of the provincial labour code for firing new union members and complaint laid.
Date: 1984-05-27

Title: Berryland Foods : Labour Code of British Columbia Labour Relations Board - Complaint of Violation
Description: During the CFU organizing drive at Berryland Foods a new CFU member is fired. This application requests the re-hiring of the worker.
Date: 1985-08-08

Title: Jensen Mushroom Farms Ltd and Canadian Farmworkers Union Local No.1 (Application for Certification)
Description: The mushroom grower's lawyer presents a rejection of the application for certification by claiming that the CFU is not a bona fide union to-date. Also, requests cease and desist of alleged unfair labour practice by CFU during organizing campaign.
Date: 1980-07-01

Title: Cabin Access Team Meeting Agenda Notes
Description: Handwritten minutes reporting obstructions by growers to union access to cabins.
Date: 1982-07-26

Title: Jensen Mushroom Farm Ltd - Statement and Return of Poll
Description: Jensen Mushroom Farm Ltd workers vote 20 affirmative and none negative for CFU representation.
Date: 1981-03-31

Title: 1982 Leaflet - Canadian Farmworkers Union Victories
Description: CFU's short summary of activities for six months in 1982. Leaflet headlines include: Workers Compensation Coverage, Cabin Access, First Arbitration at Reimers' Nurseries Ltd, Jensen Mushroom Contract, Unemployment Insurance Section 16.
Date: 1982-08-01

Title: McKim Farm workers, the Sidhu family, at the Robeson Square Law Courts, Vancouver. BC Law Union lawyer Stuart Rush, on behalf of the Farm Workers Organizing Committee, represents the Sidhu's family of farmworkers who had been cheated out of wages. Circa 1980.
Description: From left to right: Raj Chouhan, Baldev S. Poonia, Carolyn McCool (lawyers assistant) and BC Law Union lawyer Stuart Rush and members of the Sidhu Family. In 1978, the Sidhu family worked a full season at a farm owned by Doug McKim in Richmond. However, Mr. McKim did not pay the full wages he owed to the family. He owed the family approximately $25
Show moreFrom left to right: Raj Chouhan, Baldev S. Poonia, Carolyn McCool (lawyers assistant) and BC Law Union lawyer Stuart Rush and members of the Sidhu Family. In 1978, the Sidhu family worked a full season at a farm owned by Doug McKim in Richmond. However, Mr. McKim did not pay the full wages he owed to the family. He owed the family approximately $25,000. The FWOC represented the Sidhu family and took this case all the way to the BC Supreme Court. Although the FWOC won the case, the Court ordered Mr. McKim to pay only $14,000 to the workers.
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Date: 1980-01-01

Title: Fraser Valley Mushroom Growers’ Co-operative secondary picket line in Langley, BC. Sakhdarshanpar Machi (center) leads her co-workers in song and chants. Hoss Farm women mushroom pickers on the line demand their jobs back.
Description: After three days of picketing at the remote Hoss Farm, the fired women farmworkers set up a secondary picket line at the Fraser Valley Mushroom Growers’ Co-operative—which packaged mushrooms under the brand name Money’s Mushrooms. The Co-op warehouse workers who processed the mushrooms, members of the Retail & Wholesale Union, refused to cross the
Show moreAfter three days of picketing at the remote Hoss Farm, the fired women farmworkers set up a secondary picket line at the Fraser Valley Mushroom Growers’ Co-operative—which packaged mushrooms under the brand name Money’s Mushrooms. The Co-op warehouse workers who processed the mushrooms, members of the Retail & Wholesale Union, refused to cross the picket line. The plant shut down and the distribution and sale of mushrooms in retail stores came to a standstill. The pressure exerted by the picket line and media exposure prompted the grower to hire back seven of the fired workers immediately. The following year the Labour Relations Board ruled the remaining five women mushroom workers must be re-hired with back pay.
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Date: 1984-05-31

Title: Hoss Farm mushroom workers celebrate being rehired with back wages at the BC Labour Relations Board, Vancouver.
Description: Eight women mushroom farm workers who joined the CFU celebrate at the BC Labour Relations Board. CFU organizer Darshan Dhillion (top left), CFU President Raj Chouhan, CFU organizer Sukhwant Hundal, unkown man in orange hat. CFU Secretary Treasurer Sarwan Boal (sitting bottom right). The BC LRB issued the certification at Hoss Mushroom Farm and
Show moreEight women mushroom farm workers who joined the CFU celebrate at the BC Labour Relations Board. CFU organizer Darshan Dhillion (top left), CFU President Raj Chouhan, CFU organizer Sukhwant Hundal, unkown man in orange hat. CFU Secretary Treasurer Sarwan Boal (sitting bottom right). The BC LRB issued the certification at Hoss Mushroom Farm and ordered that the terminated workers be rehired with back wages. But the problem didn't end there. The harassment of workers continued. Despite several unfair labour practice complaints the harassment continued. In fact four women were still fired. Several attempts were made to get the employer to the bargaining table but to no avail.
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Date: 1984-07-26

Title: Save Lives of Farmworkers: Implement the Jury's Recommendations before others suffer the sama fate
Description: A CFU punjabi-english brochure that lists the jury recommendations from the provincial BC coroner's inquest into the deaths of three farmworkers in an overcrowded farm labour contractors van. The accident at 6:30am on March 7, 2007 happened when 16 women were being transported in a 15-seat van on Highway 1 going to a nearby Chilliwack greenhouse.
Date: 2009-02-01

Title: Farmworkers Don't Be Misled By The General Farm and Allied Workers Union
Description: One of CFU's first French language leaflets distributed during late summer investigative organizing in Okanagan Valley, BC. Double-sided in english and french.
Date: 1980-08-01

Title: Hoss Farm : Have You Really Decided to Kick the Union Out?
Description: Leaflet distributed to Hoss Farm mushroom workers before a de-certification vote. Exact date in 1985 to be determined.
Date: 1985-01-01

Title: Forrssell's Greenhouses - Membership Meeting Workers
Description: CFU calls meeting to inform Forrssell’s Greenhouse farm workers that 3 weeks after their union certification vote the provincial BC Labour Relations Board has not released the results due to a decision to exclude office and sales staff from the vote.
Date: 1980-11-13

Title: Jensen Mushroom Farms Ltd - and - Canadian Farmworkers' Union Local 1 Application for Cancellation of Certification
Description: A provincial BC LRB investigative report based on interviewing 32 of 42 employees, and includes comments from both pro-union and anti-union workers. The LRB investigator concludes with reservations to allow the de-certification vote to proceed.
Date: 1983-05-03

Title: Mushroom Farmworkers Struggle Continues
Description: Raj Chouhan's handwritten letter, article or speech about challenges in organizing after the Hoss Farm workers fired and changes to BC provincial labour laws .
Date: 1984-07-26

Title: 1983 CFU Report - Draft 2
Description: The most important internal report on CFU activities, including organizing history at each farm and self-evaluation. Plus a BC wide overview of farm work both seasonal and year round operations. A survey of CFU-Ontario; an official CFU history; an important report by David Lane called 'An Overview of Organizing Potential 1983', documenting mushroom
Show moreThe most important internal report on CFU activities, including organizing history at each farm and self-evaluation. Plus a BC wide overview of farm work both seasonal and year round operations. A survey of CFU-Ontario; an official CFU history; an important report by David Lane called 'An Overview of Organizing Potential 1983', documenting mushroom, nurseries, diary and berry operations; also, Draft Report 01; Financial Statements 1980, 1981, 1982; Plan of Action 1981-1983 Draft 01 Update.
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Date: 1983-10-20

Title: BC Labour Relations Act Changes - Notes
Description: Raj Chouhan's handwritten notes on changes to the provincial BC Labour Relations Act by the Social Credit government. Circa 1985.
Date: 1985-01-01

Title: Choi Mushroom Farm - Notes from BC Labour Relations Board Hearings
Description: Raj Chouhan's handwritten notes during provincial BC LRB hearings concerning CFU certification at Choi Mushroom Farm. Questions concerning the relationship between employers association of Fraser Valley Mushroom Co-op (83 growers) and individual grower Choi Farm.
Date: 1983-07-29

Title: Mushroom Worker Won Back Pay Wages
Description: Wages for Mushroom workers in 1986
Date: 1986-05-09

Title: Grootendorst Flowerland Nursery Ltd and CFU Agreement on Workers Back Wages.
Description: An agreement between grower and union for a farm workers back wages after unjust firing.
Date: 1982-06-11

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