Ex-Organizers File Discrimination Suit

Two former organizers for the United Farm Workers sued the union in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, claiming they were told to use sex to sign up new members and that top UFW officials ignored their complaints. The sexual-discrimination suit also alleges that such instructions have long been common practice in the UFW and that women who refuse are subjected to reprisals. The union, in the midst of a high-stakes fight to win a labor contract for 20,000 strawberry pickers in California, accused an industry group representing growers of orchestrating the lawsuit. The union also denied all the allegations, saying in a statement that it has “never advocated, encouraged or tolerated such activity” and pointing out that one of its co-founders and other top officials are women.