Farm workers denounce employers’ attempts to coerce them into demonstrating against SB 104
Bakersfield, Calif.–Farm workers from at least two Central Valley companies claim their employers threatened to fire them if they refused to sign anti-SB 104 bill petitions. Other workers say that their employers told them the company would go bankrupt if they didn’t sign.
SB 104, the Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act by state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and sponsored by the United Farm Workers, would give farm workers the choice of traditional workplace polling place balloting or confidential state-issued ballots to be filled out in privacy at home. The legislation was delivered to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk on June 16 for his signature.
The delivery kicked off a 12-day campaign by the UFW to persuade the governor to sign the bill. That effort coincides with the dozen days that Brown has to endorse SB 104, so it becomes law next year.
A group of farm workers will be holding a news conference Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Campesina Radio offices in Bakersfield to denounce the actions. Campesina offices are located at 6313 Schirra Court (between Ash Road and White Lane just behind Buena Vista Panama School District)
Since 1975, many California farm laborers have been intimidated or coerced into voting against unions. Part of the reason are that polling place elections on union representation are held on the ranch property under the stern gaze of growers, supervisors, foremen and farm labor contractors who fire and threaten pro-union workers.
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