Good afternoon:

My name is Kayla Mock and I am the Political & Legislative Director for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400. We have over 30,000 members in grocery, retail, packing, cannabis, and healthcare. We also proudly represent the Omega Protein fishermen on the Eastern Shore.

The Omega Protein fishermen fish for menhaden, the fish this petition discusses. 

Through the process of collective bargaining, the fishermen are able to negotiate over wages, benefits, work procedures, and paid time off. Unionized work places tend to see more affordable benefits, higher wages, and safer working conditions than non union workplaces. The contract that covers the fishermen is no different, resulting in sustainable jobs.

The entire community benefits from these unionized jobs. Our intent is to not "hurt the bay" or decrease the population of menhaden into an alarming number. Our intent, and the intent of our fishermen, is to have a symbiotic relationship, one where the bay is healthy and the fishermen have sustainable jobs.

The multiple studies and the science that have studied the menhaden stock show that this is the current case: there is a healthy stock, menhaden are not overfished, and the jobs are sustainable.

We appreciate the continued conversation about the health of the bay: with no fish, there are no fishermen. However, we feel as though this petition is not rooted in the best knowledge or science.

We ask that the board also consider the workers as these conversations are continued to be had, and the families and communities they sustain with them.

We appreciate your time and attention to this issue.