article from Oregon

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an article that appeared in today's Portland, Oregonian:

(submitted by tina.castanares@...)http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/business/101550577230622160.xmlBusiness NewsUnion workers settle with Kraemer Farms 03/07/02ALEX PULASKIOne of the Willamette Valley's largest fruit and vegetable growers hasagreed to pay $63,000 to settle worker complaints about wages and campliving conditions.Under the settlement, which was made public Wednesday, Kraemer Farms ofMount Angel will pay the 43 workers to avoid further legal action. Thesettlement was negotiated through a mediator after the workers' attorneycontacted the Kraemers; no lawsuit was filed.Ann Kraemer, a member of the family that owns the farm, said Wednesday thatshe had no comment.The case is part of more than a decade of conflict between the Kraemers andOregon's only farm-worker union. As part of that dispute, the Woodburn-basedNorthwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United union in summer 1999 focusedmedia, clergy and government attention on the Kraemer farm-worker camp afterworkers complained about conditions.In a July inspection that year, the state Occupational Safety and HealthDivision cited the Kraemers for six violations, including lack of adequatesleeping area, lack of sinks and showers and no electricity to a trailer. Nofine was levied.The Kraemers closed the camp, at 16680 Mount Angel-s Mill Highway,after the 1999 picking season.In their legal action against the Kraemers, workers complained that they hadbeen paid less than minimum wage and that unsanitary camp conditionsincluded only one operating shower for more than 50 occupants. Nicholson, a union spokesman, said he hoped that a labor agreementbeing negotiated between the union and Norpac Foods, the state's largestfood processor, would more quickly and effectively resolve disputes betweenlaborers and farmers. The Kraemers are prominent Norpac growers."These workers waited three years for justice to be done," Nicholson said.You can reach Pulaski at 503-221-8516 or by e-mail atalexpulaski@....