Company owner Michael Pia contested some of the votes, charging that the workers engaged in illegal or improper behavior before and during the election that affected the voting. On top of those allegations was Kaolin's contention that some local media interfered with the process by its coverage of the election and that the fired workers were terminated for just cause. Two panels of Judges of the Commonwealth Court disagreed and upheld the previous decisions of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. With these victories in place, CATA spokesman Nelson Carrasquillo released a statement outlining the struggle and expressing the union's hope that the next stage of the process would include negotiations. Even though the attending members were smiling at the celebratory press conference, the mood in the room was guardedly optimistic.
Conditions remain a major issue.
Management has asserted in many press reports that they have increased the amount paid per container. Union leaders counter that the owners also simultaneously increased the total weight for each container and reduced total work hours. Some spokesmen claim that they have suffered from abuse and discrimination for many years. The mainly Mexican workers in the Kaolin Mushroom Company originally took their grievances to the streets four years ago, garnering national press attention. Following the dramatic labor action was an election where workers voted to unionize by a 22-vote margin.