United Farm Workers Legislative Director Giev Kashkooli issued the following statement in response to the governor’s appointment of Sharon Runner to the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board:
While Gov. Schwarzenegger promises to vigorously enforce his regulation protecting farm workers from death or illness because of extreme temperatures a year after six of them perished from the heat, he has appointed an ex-lawmaker to the state farm labor board who opposed protections such as water, shade and work breaks when field workers are stricken. The governor’s appointee to the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, former Assembly Member Sharon Runner, voted against AB 805 (Chu), the Heat Illness Prevention Act in 2005.
The UFW will call upon the state Senate to quickly consider and reject Runner’s confirmation to make her ineligible to serve on the ALRB.