Gabe Ortiz Daily Kos Staff Thursday September 29, 2022 · 8:49 AM PDT Recommend 54 Tweet 14 Comments 14 New
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- AB2183
In a historic win led by the state’s farmworkers, California’s governor finally signed into law the proposal passed by the legislature a month ago, expanding how these laborers can vote in their union elections. Gavin Newsom signed the legislation into place surrounded by farmworkers and their advocates at the state capitol on Wednesday.
“California’s farmworkers are the lifeblood of our state, and they have the fundamental right to unionize and advocate for themselves in the workplace,” he said. “Our state has been defined by the heroic activism of farmworkers, championed by American icons like Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itliong. California is proud to stand with the next generation of leaders carrying on this movement.”
”The measure, Assembly Bill 2183, paves the way for farmworkers to vote by mail in union elections instead of needing to vote at election sites, often on growers’ property,” The New York Times reported. On growers’ property, they can face intimidation and retribution. Big Ag, along with the California Chamber of Commerce, had steadily opposed the bill.
RELATED STORY: Farmworkers toil amid heat as bill strengthening union rights continues to sit on Newsom’s desk
Farmworkers had again led a fierce effort to make the Agricultural Labor Relations Voting Choice Act a reality, after Newsom vetoed a similar version of it last year. In their renewed effort to get the legislation passed into law, they launched a 335-mile march from Delano to Sacramento to urge Newsom to support the bill.
But as the pilgrims reached the capital, Newsom said he would not support the legislation without changes. Pressure on the Democratic governor only increased after President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed the bill. In this statement, the president said, “farmworkers worked tirelessly and at great personal risk to keep food on America’s tables during the pandemic.”
But even when Newsom won the changes he requested, the bill remained unsigned since its passage by lawmakers late last month. During this time, farmworkers have continued round-the-clock vigils. But on Wednesday, it finally became a reality.
”Dear friends and supporters, the governor has just signed AB 2183,” United Farm Workers (UFW) president Teresa Romero said. “This is your victory, every worker who sacrificed, every one of you who struggled and donated your time and your energy to get this done. Farmworkers across the state organized and sacrificed to make their voices heard and to pass AB 2183 by [assembly member and bill author] Mark Stone. California and many parts of the nation heard them.” https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=TUSK81&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1575239767872401408&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailykos.com%2Fstory%2F2022%2F9%2F29%2F2125962%2F-In-victory-led-by-the-state-s-farmworkers-Gov-Gavin-Newsom-signs-bill-strengthening-union-rights&sessionId=e1e5a2a6afd2520eaba63ff2ba9a0ea62447acc2&siteScreenName=dailykos&theme=light&widgetsVersion=1c23387b1f70c%3A1664388199485&width=550px https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=TUSK81&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1575246806924939269&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailykos.com%2Fstory%2F2022%2F9%2F29%2F2125962%2F-In-victory-led-by-the-state-s-farmworkers-Gov-Gavin-Newsom-signs-bill-strengthening-union-rights&sessionId=e1e5a2a6afd2520eaba63ff2ba9a0ea62447acc2&siteScreenName=dailykos&theme=light&widgetsVersion=1c23387b1f70c%3A1664388199485&width=550px
”Farm workers across the state organized and sacrificed to make their voices heard and to pass #AB2183,” UFW tweeted. “California—and many parts of the country—heard their voices. Farm workers felt the deep and historic solidarity from all parts of CA and all across the nation.” Like both Romero and the UFW organization said, AB 2183’s passage is not quite a finalized deal yet. UFW and the governor’s office agreed to make some additional changes to the bill in the next legislative session.
“We look forward to working with Governor Newsom and the legislature to make agreed-upon changes that will ease implementation of #AB2183 so farm workers can participate in elections free from intimidation and deportation beginning next year,” UFW continued. “This is an incredible victory,” Romero continued. “Sí, se puede.”
As part of their effort to urge Newsom to sign the proposal, farmworkers and their advocates had launched 24-hour vigils in a number of cities, including Sacramento, where temperatures this past month hit 116, breaking a nearly century-old record. But advocates continued on with the vigils, saying they know farmworkers laboring to put food on our tables are enduring these conditions every season. “The community members that are here are aware that farmworkers are here every day in the fields regardless of the heat wave, pandemic, smoke,” UFW’s Jessica Betancourt told Northern California’s KCRA.
”In the end, Newsom bowed to the symbolism,” The Los Angeles Times reported. “He made his way out of the ornate Capitol and over to the vigil where farmworkers had been camping out, signing the bill into law near the altar they had erected.”