Ostrom Mushroom plant sold, but the workers’ fight continues. Help us track how mushrooms move across North America.
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We wrote to you earlier this month about Ostrom mushrooms in Sunnyside, WA and the David vs. Goliath battle workers were going through to get union representation and justice on the job. The situation has escalated.
The day after we sent out our alert, on February 14th, 2023 - ironically on Valentine’s Day - the workers were called into an all-team meeting and told that, effective at midnight, Ostrom was bought by Greenwood Mushrooms, a company owned by Windmill Farms. As a result, all of the Ostrom employees were immediately fired.
The workers were then given a letter offering "new" employment under the new management -- at lower wages, in less preferable jobs, and all under an arbitration agreement for any labor disputes. Workers were given only hours to sign.
Ostrom Mushrooms is being renamed "Greenwood Mushrooms Sunnyside." The new owner is Windmill Farms which has facilities in Canada. Windmill Farms is owned by InStar, a Canadian private equity firm.
We need your help to track how mushrooms are grown and sold across North America.
We need to know which brands of mushrooms are sold in which stores in the United States and Canada – including non-Sunnyside WA mushrooms. The Ostrom label may change to Greenwood Mushrooms, Windmill Mushrooms, store brand packaging or even a new label we haven’t heard of yet. Help us ensure they don't hide their labels or sell mushrooms under a different brand to avoid being accountable to their employees and consumers.
Take 2 minutes to help us the next time you go grocery shopping:
- Check out the labeling on the mushrooms your store carries.
- Snap a photo of the mushroom package, and if there is a box of loose mushrooms, snap a photo of that too. Send to ufw@ufw.org along with the store name, the location and the day you saw it.
We’ve launched a website at www.ufw.org/ostrom so you can follow this campaign. Find the latest campaign media coverage, photos and videos; sign the pledge; see worker videos explaining their fight and more.
Please help these workers next time you go shopping and please reach out to your friends in other cities. An extra minute or two can help these Sunnyside mushroom workers in their fight to win their UFW contract.
