Farm worker delegation will deliver petitions with 60,000-plus names to Gov. Brown for farm worker reform legislation
Sacramento, Calif.—A delegation from among 300 farm workers at the state Capitol on Monday will deliver more than 60,000 signatures of Californians on petitions asking Gov. Jerry Brown to sign into law SB 104, the Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act. MoveOn, Credo, Change.org, the Courage Campaign, DailyKos, Presente, American Rights at Work, Organic Consumers, as well as Latino and union groups are among the organizations that have circulated the petitions backing the United Farm Workers’ drive for the bill making it easier for farm workers to vote for the union free from grower intimidation that has recently resulted in the state throwing out results from on-the-ranch polling-place balloting.
The petitions delivered Monday are on top of more than 50,000 farm workers who have signed postcards asking the governor to sign the legislation. The farm worker delegation and supporters will deliver the petitions at 12 noon Monday along with large blown up copies of comments from dozens of Californians in support of the measure.
Among those participating in a chain fast for SB 104 are original farm labor law author, U.S. Rep. Howard Berman, state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Speaker John A. Perez, 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, and other local elected officials and farm workers. Cesar Chavez’ siblings, Richard Chavez and Rita Chavez Medina, civil rights and labor icon Dolores Huerta, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, United Food and Commercial Workers International President Joe Hansen, and actor Martin Sheen are among those who have joined farm workers during the last week in Sacramento and Los Angeles in asking Gov. Brown to sign SB 104.