The
industry has until Dec. 11 to file comments.
The
proposal calls for two stages of negotiations.
The first
stage would set minimum prices. Tonnages would be based on the previous four-year
average.
The
processors and the marketing board would also negotiate prices for tonnages
greater than the base volume.
The second
stage would be between each processing company and its farmer-suppliers.
OPVG would continue to appoint
members to each negotiating agency, which negotiate the agreements, but would
be required to appoint a minimum number of active growers who contract with a
processor for that crop.
Negotiation deadlines would be moved
up by three weeks, with a required start date, so that constructive discussions
could begin well in advance of deadlines.
The amended regulation would allow
either party to a negotiating agency to trigger mandatory conciliation prior to
arbitration.
To promote increased consultation
with growers during negotiations, growers would be given the power to call a
meeting with their negotiating agency representatives prior to arbitration.
If arbitration is required, the arbitrator
would have flexibility to make a decision that was not necessarily just one
party's final offer in its entirety.
Parties would be required to provide
the names of negotiating agency appointees to the Commission ahead of the start
of negotiations.
The Commission intends to monitor the
implementation of the new regulations and to complete a full review by March
31, 2020.
