Chateau Ste. Michelle and United Farm Workers reach agreement on historic union election and negotiating process; boycott suspended.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 1995--Chateau Ste. Michelle winery and the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO, signed an agreement today that calls for a union representation election to be held among the winery's farm workers. It will be the first farm labor election ever conducted in Washington state.

The UFW also agreed to suspend all boycott activity against the winery and other properties owned by the Woodinville, Wash.-based Stimson Lane Vineyards and Estates.

If winery workers vote for the UFW, the winery and union will bargain in good faith for a contract. If workers vote against union representation, the UFW agreed to stop all organizing and boycott activities for one year.

The joint agreement between the union and the company "is historic because it allows the farm workers to vote in an atmosphere free of coercion or intimidation by either party -- and it guarantees that workers will have the ability to negotiate a contract after the election," said UFW President Arturo Rodriguez.

"We are pleased with this development, which gives our employees the right to vote by secret ballot on whether they want UFW representation," stated Chateau Ste. Michelle President Allen Shoup.

Since both federal and state collective bargaining laws exclude farm workers, the winery and the UFW voluntarily negotiated election procedure terms over a nine-month period. The agreement was finalized on April 28 in the Washington, D.C., office of national AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland.

The national labor federation assisted because in April 1994 the once-independent United Farm Workers of Washington state affiliated with the California-based Cesar Chavez-founded UFW, an AFL-CIO affiliate.

The agreement calls for a secret-ballot vote by the winery's agricultural employees no later than June 30. The company agreed to remain non-partisan during the union's organizing campaign and to provide the UFW with access to its workers for up to seven days before the election during non-working hours. Balloting will be overseen by a neutral five-member commission selected by the union and winery. Issues that are not covered by the joint UFW-winery agreement will be governed by the processes, rules, remedies and precedents of California's landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act passed in 1975.

The next step is naming a chairperson of the neutral commission that will supervise the election. Winery and union representatives said they hope to announce the chair's name within 15 days.

CONTACT: Chateau Ste. Michelle

Mark Jennings, 206/488-4617

or

United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO

Kurt Petersen, 509/839-3934

Jocelyn Sherman, 805/822-3571, ext. 3255