San Benito Foods tomato canning worker families and their supporters will picket Hollister City Hall to demand that Mayor Ignacio Velasquez ensure that the City continue to provide water to San Benito Foods and save close to 600 Hollister jobs and the local business where these families shop. The workers are also taking a stance against Mayor Ignacio Velasquez and demanding public transparency in the City’s dealings with San Benito Foods.
With only weeks before the Company is set to begin the 2020 season, the City is demanding 4.5 million dollars from San Benito Foods in order to continue to provide water to the Company. Currently San Benito Foods employs close to 600 workers who would lose their jobs during a pandemic that has already proven to be catastrophic to working families. The small businesses, who are already suffering: and many of whom might never recover from the pandemics dire effects, as well as Hollister’s economy would take a huge hit as well.
According to a recent study conducted by the Cascade Planning Group, LLC On-site business operations and workers will generate $870,400 in annual re-occurring sales tax revenues. Plant operations and capital investments generate another $167,000 in property taxes to support local public agencies. Should Mayor Velasquez and the rest of the City Council refuse to provide water to San Benito Foods the losses over the next ten years could equal to more than $10,374,000!
Seeking to press Mayor Ignacio Velazquez and the rest of the City Council members, workers will form a picket line to demand the City allow San Benito Foods to resume operations.
WHO: San Benito Foods tomato canning worker families and Teamster Members
WHAT: Seeking to Ensure that the City of Hollister not shut off the Company’s water off
WHEN: 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, 2020
WHERE: City of Hollister City Hall, 375 Fifth St. Hollister, CA.
Contact: Jorge Valenzuela, 831-756-9862; [email protected]
