For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025
Contact: [email protected]
COURT AFFIRMS FARM WORKERS’ LABOR UNION AS BARGAINING REPRESENTATIVE UNDER LANDMARK STATE LAW
PERB’s Decision Upheld to Certify United Farm Workers as Recognized Bargaining Unit at Wayne County Farm
Attempt by Wafler Farms to Avoid Legal Bargaining Obligations Again Denied
On Monday, Wayne County Supreme Court Justice Richard Healy ruled that the New York State Public Employment Relations Board acted rationally and properly in all respects in certifying United Farm Workers as the bargaining representative for farm laborers working at Wafler Farms.
“This ruling marks a victory for farm workers and reaffirms the bargaining rights established under the State’s landmark Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act,” said PERB Chair Timothy Connick. “Hopefully Wafler will finally just comply with the law, negotiate with the union, and stop all this litigation. This has been going on for more than three years now. It’s just not fair to the workers.”
United Farm Workers initially sought to be certified in October 2022 to be the bargaining representative for farm laborers at the Wayne County farm. Wafler Farms repeatedly fought that certification through multiple administrative devices at PERB.
United Farm Workers was certified by PERB in May 2023. Wafler Farms responded by filing an administrative appeal, a court action, and an unprecedented seven requests for stays — all lost or ultimately denied — to negate the union’s recognition and deny its workers the right to unionize. Meanwhile, Wafler Farms rebuffed attempts to bargain with United Farm Workers. Finally, Wafler Farms refused to attend an arbitration hearing held in January; hearings are established under New York State law when farm employers and a union cannot reach an agreement.
In his ruling, Justice Healy further rejected Wafler’s challenge to the two-year labor award issued by the arbitrator.
“Wafler’s due process rights were not violated as Wafler had ample notice and opportunities to be heard that UFW sought compulsory arbitration,” Justice Healy found.
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