Nearly 400 workers at five Highline Mushrooms farms in British Columbia have joined United Food and Commercial Workers 1518. On July 8, the B.C. labour board certified the latest group of workers to join the union: 210 workers at the Langley mushroom farm are joining the recently-unionized members at the Abbotsford locations, bringing the total number of new union members to 390 agricultural workers. This will be the largest group of farmworkers in Canadian history to join a union.

The newest union members in Langley are migrant agricultural workers here on temporary work permits from countries such as Guatemala, Mexico, India and Vietnam; the unit also includes local workers who work in packaging or as drivers. The workers united to join the union to advocate with one voice for better working conditions.

The key concerns for the workers at Highline Mushrooms are improving health and safety, ensuring a safe and fair work environment, being treated with dignity and respect, and the ability to bargain collectively.

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Highline Mushrooms is a subsidiary of the Japanese-owned Sumitomo conglomerate; Sumitomo and many of its subsidiaries, including agri-food giant Fyffes, have pledged to defend human and labour rights in their business practices.

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