Union voted down in Chesco

Workers at a mushroom packaging plant in Avondale have voted against union representation, but proponents say they will appeal the results.

Employees of Cardile Bros. Mushroom Packaging voted Friday, 81-59, against the proposal.

Eight members of the Workers Committee of Cardile Mushrooms said they planned to appeal to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, accusing supervisors at the Chester County plant of interfering with the election by campaigning against unionization.

At the Avondale office of the Kaolin Workers Union, the workers said through a Spanish-language interpreter that they had sought better working and living conditions, higher wages, and benefits including health care and paid holidays and vacations.

The Kaolin Workers Union, the bargaining group at Kaolin Mushroom Farm, is the only union of mushroom workers in the state.

Owner Charles Cardile Jr., speaking from his Avondale home, said he and other supervisors planned to address employees' concerns.

"It came out that the union didn't make it. That's about all," he said. "I'm not going to boast about it. We're always addressing the men's concerns every day."