October 9, 2010

Thank you for being there for the UFW. We wanted to share some great news with you. Governor Brown just signed SB126, an amendment that will change the Agricultural Labor Relations Act and remove some obstacles for farm workers who want to join a union.

Thank you for all you did to help us make this happen. This bill came through a 13-day, 200 mile march to the California state capitol. Midway through the march, Gov. Brown put forth his own proposal of how to solve the problem of growers intimidating, stalling and firing workers who are lawfully organizing for union representation. We're looking forward to using his new law to change the lives of farm workers up and down the state.

When Cesar Chavez led the union’s first historic pilgrimage to Sacramento in 1966, he called the march, "A powerful weapon, a powerful organizing tool...There is this anticipation. You have a definite starting place...and goal. You’re moving, making progress every step." We're now one giant step closer to progress.

Si Se Puede!

Arturo S. Rodriguez
President

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10/10/11: Sacramento Bee: Gov. Jerry Brown signs farmworker bill

Four months after vetoing labor-backed legislation that would have made it easier to unionize farmworkers - touching off a highly personal, late-night protest at the Capitol - Gov. Jerry Brown announced this evening that he has signed the compromise measure he helped negotiate.

Senate Bill 126, by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, gives farmworkers greater protections in organizing disputes with growers, including allowing the state's Agricultural Labor Relations Board to certify a union when it determines grower misconduct affected an election's outcome.

Brown signed the landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act when he was governor before, from 1975 to 1983, but his June veto tested his relationship with his longtime allies in the United Farm Workers union. The union and legislative Democrats cheered the compromise law.

"This change to existing law is a significant advancement," Steinberg said in a prepared statement. "The idea here is simple - if the Agricultural Labor Relations Board finds employer misconduct affected the results of the election and further determines that it cannot conduct a fair second election, the board may certify the union without further delay. I applaud the Governor for his action."