Home News & Events Action Alert: Agriculture Bargaining Bill Needs Sponsors

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Action Alert:
Agriculture Bargaining Bill
Needs Sponsors

Fruit and vegetable producers, other contract growers have much at stake.

Issued 5/30/97

The Family Farmer Cooperative Marketing Amendments Act (FFCMA) of 1997 would amend the Agriculture Fair Practices Act (AFPA) of 1967 to include inducements for good faith bargaining. It would provide:
  • Mutual obligations for good faith bargaining between processors or handlers and cooperative associations of agricultural producers.
  • Mediation by the Secretary of Agriculture to resolve impasses in bargaining.
  • Enforcement authority for the Secretary of Agriculture.
Fruit and vegetable growers as well as any contract farmers have a lot to gain from this initiative. Organizations in the following targeted districts should write a letter to their Congress member asking them to cosponsor this bill. (See sample letter .)

Letters should be addressed to the Congress member. (See the Congressional Directory for more detailed contact information, including email addresses.) For your information, names in parentheses are the appropriate aides.
  • Gary Condit (Robert Guenther)(CA)
  • Richard Pombo (Chris D'arcy)(CA)
  • Calvin Dooley (Emily Beizer) (CA)
  • Ken Calvert (CA)
  • Sam Farr (Matt Green) (CA)
  • John Baldacci (Ned Porter) (ME)
  • Nick Smith (Juliana Smith) (MI)
  • Debbie Stabenow (J. Kerekes) (MI)
  • Bob Smith (Brian MacDonald) (OR)
  • Collin Peterson (Rob Larew) (MN)
  • David Minge (Mark Rokela) (MN)
  • Jack Metcalf (WA)
  • Norman Dicks (WA)
  • Doc Hastings (WA)
  • Linda Smith (WA)
  • David Obey (Paul Carver) (WI)
  • Jay Johnson (Jesse Sevcik) (WI)
  • Ron Kind (Brad Pfaff) (WI)
  • George Nethercutt (WA)
Watch for future actions on this bill. Strategies include:
  1. Get FFCMA introduced with many cosponsors.
  2. Press for Congressional Field hearings.
  3. Grassroots action (letters and calls) to move the bill through passage
For more information call:
  • National Contract Poultry Growers, John Morrison: (318) 251-9227. Email: ncpga@bayou.com
  • National Family Farm Coalition, Jim Potts: (202) 543-5675
Source: National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, P.O. Box 396, Pine Bush, NY 12566. Phone: (914) 744-8448. Fax: (914) 744-8477. email: Campaign@magiccarpet.com

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