Dairy Farm Employees in New York Reject Union Membership

News Summary

In a decisive vote of 44 to 2, employees at a New York dairy farm have rejected union membership, ending the efforts of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local One to represent them. This decision comes at a time of active legislative discussions focused on large-scale farming and proposed restrictions on concentrated animal feeding operations. Critics argue the bill could harm family farms and the local economy, while supporters highlight environmental concerns tied to factory farming. The outcome of these debates may significantly impact New York’s agricultural future.

New York – Employees of a dairy farm in New York have voted almost unanimously to reject union membership, concluding a secret ballot process with a vote of 44 to 2 this spring. This decision effectively ends the efforts of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local One to maintain union representation for the farm’s employees under the state’s Farm Laborers Fair Practice Act of 2019.

The vote comes amid ongoing legislative discussions regarding large-scale farming practices. Experts in agriculture highlight the urgent need for labor reform, citing escalating costs, persistent workforce shortages, and potential deportation issues as critical factors that impact the U.S. agricultural sector.

In tandem with labor issues, New York State is reviewing proposed legislation, specifically bill S6530, which seeks to limit the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation’s ability to issue permits for new or expanding concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). If passed, this bill would restrict dairy farms to a maximum of 700 mature cows, a measure that aims to mitigate environmental impacts associated with factory farming and to protect smaller family-run operations.

The van Lieshout family operates a multigenerational dairy farm in Oneida County that currently milks about 1,300 Holsteins. New York is the fifth largest milk producer in the United States, featuring approximately 3,000 individual dairy farms and housing over 600,000 dairy cows.

The legislative proposal is led by state Sen. Jabari Brisport and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal. However, the bill has sparked controversy; critics argue that it represents an overreach of government power that could adversely affect the rural economy of the state. Assemblyman Chris Tague and other Republican representatives contend that the bill unfairly targets family farms, framing larger operations as industrial rather than recognizing them as family-run businesses.

Though the bill would not impact existing farms directly, it is designed to tackle growing concerns over the environmental consequences of CAFOs, which are known to produce considerable amounts of manure and methane emissions. Notably, there has been a 21% increase in factory-farmed dairy cows in New York from 2017 to 2021, coinciding with a significant decrease in the number of dairy farms, with a 43.5% closure rate over the past five years.

Opponents of the legislation argue that larger farms are capable of better maintaining herd health and more effectively managing their operations. U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik has voiced strong criticisms of the measure, asserting that it poses a threat to local food supplies and accusing Democrats of undermining New York’s agricultural economy.

Organizations such as the New York Farm Bureau and various agricultural associations have also expressed their opposition to the bill, noting that it misrepresents the operations of larger farms, ignoring the sustainability standards they adhere to.

Furthermore, local officials have raised concerns that the proposed legislation may not fully account for the complexities and realities faced by dairy farms across New York. The future of bill S6530 appears uncertain, as political analysts suggest that Governor Kathy Hochul is unlikely to support the measure if it ever reaches her desk.

As the debate over union representation and large-scale farming practices continues, the outcome will not only influence the employees on the affected dairy farms but may also have broader implications for New York’s agricultural landscape and economy.

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

• Lancaster Farming
• Times Union
• WPDH
• NY Focus
• Spectrum News
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Milk Debate
• Wikipedia: Agriculture in the United States
• Google Search: Dairy Farming New York
• Google Scholar: Dairy Union Membership
• Google News: New York Dairy Farms