Farm workers resume vigil at state Capitol until Gov. Davis signs bill

Delegates at the United Farm Workers’ Sixteenth Constitutional Convention over the Labor Day weekend in Fresno voted unanimously to permanently maintain the union’s vigil with farm workers on the steps of the state Capitol until Gov. Gray Davis signs historic legislation that would help them win union contracts when growers drag out negotiations.

The Capitol vigil, which came down Friday, will resume at 12 noon on Wednesday, Sept. 4 and be maintained "permanently" until the farm worker legislation is signed–no matter how long that takes, according to union leaders.

On Saturday the Legislature passed a third UFW-sponsored bill, AB 2596, that included a five-year "sunset" or expiration, a concession the Cesar Chavez-founded union had vigorously opposed. It also featured a limit of 75 on the number of cases farm workers could bring through the measure’s mediation and review process.

"The Legislature passed the new bill Saturday at the farm workers’ request," says UFW President Arturo Rodriguez, "but the governor forced us to accept the sunsetting."

Sunday, the union’s biennial convention approved the resolution in which the UFW "dedicates itself to permanently maintaining the farm workers’ vigil outside the state Capitol in Sacramento until Gov. Davis signs legislation giving farm workers the legal tools they need to gain the union contracts for which they voted in state-conducted secret-ballot elections."

The resolution noted that in addition to the sunsetting concession, "the UFW accepted 90 percent of Gov. Davis’ compromise proposal replacing binding arbitration with ‘mandatory mediation.’"

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No. 9
United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO 16th Constitutional Convention Fresno, California
August 31 & September 1, 2002
Presented by the National Executive Board of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO

MAKING THE FARM WORKERS VIGIL AT STATE CAPITOL PERMANENT

WHEREAS, farm workers–unlike growers–don’t have millions of dollars to influence government; and

WHEREAS, farm workers marched 165 miles in 11 days to Sacramento urging California Governor Gray Davis to sign historic legislation to help win union contracts when growers drag out negotiations; and

WHEREAS, more than 5,000 farm workers and supporters completed the march with a massive rally on the steps of the state Capitol on Sunday, August 25; and

WHEREAS, when the march began other farm workers and their supporters established a vigil at the Capitol, also appealing to Governor Davis to sign the farm worker legislation; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature passed SB 1736, by state Senate leader John Burton, using binding arbitration to produce contracts when growers refuse to bargain in good faith; and

WHEREAS, the UFW accepted 90 percent of Governor Davis’ compromise proposal replacing binding arbitration with "mandatory mediation"; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature passed a new bill, AB 2596, and sent it to the governor; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO, meeting at its 16th Constitutional Convention in Fresno, California, dedicates itself to permanently maintaining the farm workers’ vigil outside the state Capitol in Sacramento until Governor Davis signs legislation giving farm workers the legal tools they need to gain the union contracts for which they voted in state-conducted secret-ballot elections; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be delivered to the governor and leaders of the state Legislature.