Gov Newsom signs bill expanding farmworker union rights
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation into law that will expand union rights for farmworkers.
AB 2183, also known as California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Voting Choice Act, creates new ways for farmworkers to vote in a union election, including options for mail-in ballots, and authorization cards submitted to the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, in addition to the existing in-person voting process.
“There is a need for more laws that favor farmworkers so that we’re not always in the shadows because we’re always in the shadows," said Vidal Mendoza Fonseca, a local who has worked in the agricultural industry since 1985. “A lot of people don’t want to speak up sometimes because they’re afraid to be heard or that there might be negative consequences.”
Around 8,000 farmworkers call the Coachella Valley home, according to the LA Times.
Newsom, United Farm Workers (UFW), and the California Labor Federation agreed in a letter on clarifying language to be passed during next year’s legislative session to address the Governor's concerns around implementation and voting integrity.
“California’s farmworkers are the lifeblood of our state, and they have the fundamental right to unionize and advocate for themselves in the workplace,” said Governor Newsom. “Our state has been defined by the heroic activism of farmworkers, championed by American icons like Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong. California is proud to stand with the next generation of leaders carrying on this movement.”
The supplemental agreement between the Newsom Administration, UFW, and the California Labor Federation includes a cap on the number of card-check petitions over the next five years, and will allow the ALRB to adequately protect worker confidentiality and safety, the governor's office announced.
The additional agreement would be codified into law with a bill next year that would be supported by both the administration and the union.
