Dolores Huerta & Cesar Chavez’s brother back SB 104;
Mayor Villaraigosa, elected officials from across
state support campaign, urge governor’s signature
Sacramento, Calif.–Labor and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez’s brother, Richard Chavez, travel to the state Capitol Friday on the eighth straight day of a drive urging Gov. Jerry Brown to sign SB 104, the United Farm Workers-sponsored Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act.
SB 104 would give California farm workers an alternative to traditional, on-the-job polling place elections to decide on union representation. Under the measure, farm workers could also choose to fill out state-issued ballots in privacy.
The Friday vigil takes place on the north steps of the Capitol facing L Street at 11th at 12:30 a.m. The campaign for the legislation that went to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk on June 16 is organized by the UFW and includes a rotating fast by farm laborers and their backers. The governor has until Tuesday, June 28, to take action.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will use a Friday event in Los Angeles to support the bill. Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles) will be also joining the fast on Friday.
Among those participating in a chain fast for SB 104 are original farm labor law author U.S. Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry, state Controller John Chiang, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, L.A. County Federation of Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Maria Elena Durazo, former San Jose Vice Mayor and South Bay Central Labor Council executive officer Cindy Chavez, former White House Chief of Staff Maria Echaveste, Assemblymembers Alejo, Lara, Hueso, Yamada, Monning and Blumenfield, United Food and Commercial Workers International President Joe Hansen, and other local elected officials and farm workers.