Despite intense pressure, Brown rejects measure making it easier for laborers to organize. The United Farm Workers vows to continue the campaign.http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-farm-workers-20110629,0,2248905.storyGov. Jerry Brown, whose signature more than three decades ago gave agricultural workers the right to unionize by secret ballot, vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have made it easier for farm laborers to organize.
The proposal has been the top legislative goal for years for the United Farm Workers, whose founder, Cesar Chavez, had strong ties to Brown. It would have allowed the union to bargain for employees without holding an election — by simply collecting signatures from a majority of workers on cards saying they wanted representation.
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"I am not yet convinced that the far-reaching provisions of this bill … are justified," Brown wrote.
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"To us it's a real clear decision," UFW President Arturo Rodriguez said. "This governor has decided to side with the rich against the powerless."