Will California Gov. Jerry Brown sign bill supporting farm workers?

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/Channels/Story.aspx?ID=1448563

6/26/2011

California Gov. Jerry Brown has two more days to decide if he’ll sign into law a bill that would give farm workers the right to unionize. After making it through the legislature the bill landed on the Governor’s desk June 16 and there it has sat. This weekend workers, politicians, labor leaders, and celebrities marched to the Governor’s office in Los Angeles to call for a signature on the bill. An additional contingent of supporters marched on the State Capitol building in Sacramento. If ratified the legislation would streamline the process for farm workers to unionize and provide greater protections from intimidation. Proponents of the legislation say its necessary to ensure that laws currently on the books are enforced, as it provides farm workers with an amplified voice when it comes basic necessities in the fields such as shade, water, and training to prevent heat stroke. It will give workers a voice for when dangerous pesticides are being used above suggested limits in the fields, giving consumers a new line of defense before product comes to market. It will additionally add a way for workers to report discrimination and sexual harassment without risking retribution.