10/14/2024 UFW Announces Latest Union Certification Victory at Urban Rooftop Farm –First Ever Agricultural Union within New York City Limits

New York City - The United Farm Workers is proud to announce the certification of a union majority amongst the workers of Brooklyn Grange, a urban agricultural and "rooftop farm" located in New York City. This is the 7th total UFW certification in New York State since New York passed a 2019 law expanding unionization rights to agricultural workers. This is also the first time the UFW has represented workers in urban agriculture, a growing industry in many cities associated with more resilient and climate-friendly agricultural policies.

"They say if you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere," said UFW Secretary Treasurer Armando Elenes. "We are proud to represent the workers at Brooklyn Grange, who approached the UFW with an interest in organizing a union. While representing workers in urban areas is new for the United Farm Workers, the fundamental mission remains the same: ensuring that the workers who put food on America's table have the rights, pay, benefits, and dignity they deserve. As non-traditional agriculture such as urban farms continue to grow, so too will our union. This latest success in New York state also highlights the importance of legislative changes that allow farm workers the freedom to organize and the right to a union. The UFW must continue to defend and expand these laws in the face of entrenched opposition from the grower lobby in New York state and across the country."

Workers at Brooklyn Grange will now begin negotiations with management to establish their first ever collective bargaining agreement.

For inquiries and more information about the UFW's growth in New York state, please contact [email protected].