From: lenore (lmpallad@midway.uchicago.edu)
Date: Mon Sep 16 2002 - 15:11:41 EDT
Forwarded from UFW: UFWofamer@aol.com
Take Action: E-mail Gov/ Davis today! Go to:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/SB_1736_Gov1
Farm workers resume vigil at state Capitol until Gov. Davis signs
bill
Delegates at the United Farm Workers' Sixteenth Constitutional
Convention over the Labor Day weekend in Fresno voted unanimously to
permanently maintain the union's vigil with farm workers on the steps
of the state Capitol until Gov. Gray Davis signs historic legislation
that would help them win union contracts when growers drag out
negotiations.
The Capitol vigil, which came down Friday, will resume at 12
noon on Wednesday, Sept. 4 and be maintained "permanently" until the
farm worker legislation is signed--no matter how long that takes,
according to union leaders.
On Saturday the Legislature passed a third UFW-sponsored bill,
AB 2596, that included a five-year "sunset" or expiration, a
concession the Cesar Chavez-founded union had vigorously opposed. It
also featured a limit of 75 on the number of cases farm workers could
bring through the measure's mediation and review process.
"The Legislature passed the new bill Saturday at the farm
workers' request," says UFW President Arturo Rodriguez, "but the
governor forced us to accept the sunsetting."
Sunday, the union's biennial convention approved the resolution
in which the UFW "dedicates itself to permanently maintaining the
farm workers' vigil outside the state Capitol in Sacramento until
Gov. Davis signs legislation giving farm workers the legal tools they
need to gain the union contracts for which they voted in state-
conducted secret-ballot elections."
The resolution noted that in addition to the sunsetting
concession, "the UFW accepted 90 percent of Gov. Davis' compromise
proposal replacing binding arbitration with 'mandatory mediation.'"
- end -
Resolution No. 9
United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO
16th Constitutional Convention
Fresno, California
August 31 & September 1, 2002
Presented by the National Executive Board of the United
Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO
MAKING THE FARM WORKERS VIGIL AT STATE CAPITOL PERMANENT
WHEREAS, farm workers--unlike growers--don't have millions of dollars
to influence government; and
WHEREAS, farm workers marched 165 miles in 11 days to Sacramento
urging California Governor Gray Davis to sign historic legislation to
help win union contracts when growers drag out negotiations; and
WHEREAS, more than 5,000 farm workers and supporters completed the
march with a massive rally on the steps of the state Capitol on
Sunday, August 25; and
WHEREAS, when the march began other farm workers and their supporters
established a vigil at the Capitol, also appealing to Governor Davis
to sign the farm worker legislation; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature passed SB 1736, by state Senate leader John
Burton, using binding arbitration to produce contracts when growers
refuse to bargain in good faith; and
WHEREAS, the UFW accepted 90 percent of Governor Davis' compromise
proposal replacing binding arbitration with "mandatory mediation";
and
WHEREAS, the Legislature passed a new bill, AB 2596, and sent it to
the governor; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO,
meeting at its 16th Constitutional Convention in Fresno, California,
dedicates itself to permanently maintaining the farm workers' vigil
outside the state Capitol in Sacramento until Governor Davis signs
legislation giving farm workers the legal tools they need to gain
the union contracts for which they voted in state-conducted secret-
ballot elections; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be delivered
to the governor and leaders of the state Legislature.
********************
http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2002-08-29/news2.asp
This article is from the News&features section of the Sacramento News
& Review.
Now that the governor has the farm worker bill, which side will he
enrage?
By Jeff Kearns
After a week's worth of super-charged rhetoric and political theater
that led farm workers to the Capitol, Senate Bill 1736 on Monday was
ceremoniously carried by its author to Governor Gray Davis' office,
where it now awaits his signature--or veto.
Growers and farm workers have both been doing their best to make the
governor's choice as stark as possible: either lay waste to the
state's largest industry during shaky economic times, or slap farm
workers in a way that would have Cesar Chavez spinning in his grave.
United Farm Workers members and supporters held a 10-day march to
Sacramento, gathering supporters and media attention along the way.
Tracing deserted rural roads through vineyards and cornfields on the
northern edge of San Joaquin County, the march last Thursday was
in the tiny town of Thornton.
At noon, marchers plopped down in the shade of trees on the lawn in
front of an elementary school. Students came out with cold drinks,
and an old man in a white cowboy hat introduced a gaggle of shy young
girls to movement superstar Dolores Huerta, who founded the
UFW four decades ago with Chavez.
As a UFW nurse bandaged blisters, marchers expressed optimism about
persuading Davis, although few Capitol insiders would give the bill
any chance of avoiding a veto. Foremost among those skeptics is the
bill's author, Senate President John Burton, who wanted to force
growers who stall union talks into binding arbitration.
While blisters were getting bandaged in Thornton, Davis was at the
state fair unveiling an ad campaign promoting California agricultural
products. Pressed on the farm worker bill, Davis kept his intentions
quiet, but played up his support for farm workers: "All I want to say
is that we owe a great debt of gratitude to the farm workers who put
food on our table working under the most difficult circumstances on
the planet. And we all ought to say a little prayer at night to thank
them for the extraordinarily difficult work they do.'
A couple hours after Davis praised farm workers, Burton stood on the
Capitol steps, where supportive legislators showed up at the daily
UFW vigil to make a few quick speeches about the bill before getting
in vans that were waiting to shuttle them out to join the march.
A Fresno Bee reporter with a tape recorder approached Burton and
played the governor's response to a question about the bill. Burton
leaned over to hear the disembodied voice of Davis praise farm
workers, clearly irritated by what he heard.
"So we should thank them and hail them," Burton grumbled, "but not do
anything for them?"
Burton even took on threatening tones: "It'll be a mistake that will
haunt him for the rest of his term, hurt his relationship with the
Legislature and could even put a crimp in any national ambitions he
may have. The choice is between the farm workers and the rich
contributors and he seems to be leaning to the contributors."
Days later, when the UFW march ended in a rally of 5,000 at the
Capitol, Burton would return to Davis' words, telling the crowd, "The
governor in a speech out at the state fair said we owe a great debt
to the farm workers for what they do. Well, he can repay that
debt by signing this bill."
Sitting with the other marchers on the grass in Thornton, UFW
President Arturo Rodriguez munched on a couple of foil-wrapped veggie
burritos donated by volunteers. The bill wouldn't create a new law as
much as it would put teeth in the old 1975 law, Rodriguez said, which
is necessary because growers can stall negotiations for years.
"I don't anticipate that it would be used that often, but it's there
as a mechanism to be implemented when somebody just ignores the law,"
Rodriguez said. "It's extremely important to us because we want to
make sure that employers have a reason to bargain instead of
having an incentive to delay the process. I think it really fulfills
the promise of that law that was signed in 1975."
As evidence of the growers' bad faith bargaining, UFW spokesman Marc
Grossman noted that after 428 successful votes to join the UFW, only
185 growers have signed contracts.
While not as high-profile as their opponents across the fields,
growers have been aggressive in saying the bill would cripple the
state's $27 billion agriculture industry. The chief opponent is the
Irvine-based Western Growers Association, which has blanketed
newsrooms around the state with faxes promising dire consequences
if the labor-business face-off doesn't go their way.
"All the unions have to say is that the growers won't negotiate in
good faith, and then, boom, they've got a contract," WGA spokeswoman
Heather Flower said. "It means they can come with all kinds of
outrageous demands and then say the growers aren't bargaining.
California growers produce about half of the nation's fresh produce,
and if you put our guys out of business, you would see a rise in
prices for consumers."
To publicly pressure the governor into signing the bill, UFW
organizers started organizing the march up the valley as soon as the
bill cleared the Legislature. Although Huerta, 72, nearly died two
years ago from an abdominal aneurysm that hospitalized her for months
and left her unable to eat, drink or walk, she walked every step of
the 165-mile route.
"The lord saved me for this march," she said along the way.
After enumerating instances in which farm workers who voted to
unionize were left hanging by growers that stalled negotiations, the
soft-spoken septuagenarian turned terse: "If the governor signs this
bill, then Cesar's dream of a union will finally be fulfilled.
It's what he worked all his life for, and what I worked all my life
for. If the governor doesn't sign this bill, he should never use
Cesar's name again. He knew Cesar, and when he ran for office, he
used that to campaign, especially in the Latino community."
Huerta said she'll fast in his office if Davis doesn't sign,
continuing the public pressure that union supporters have already
been dishing out. But Davis staffers seem to be quietly laying the
groundwork to disappoint the activists who have besieged their boss.
As thousands rallied at the Capitol, Davis spokesman Steve Maviglio
wandered through the crowd, saying that the governor hasn't made a
decision yet. Maviglio has also been busy spinning his boss as a
friend of farm workers who increased the minimum wage, expanded
family leave and strengthened workplace safety laws.
Critics say the governor won't sign the bill because of the campaign
cash he's taken from growers, but Davis spokesman Russ Lopez said
it's a silly charge "because labor is a big supporter of this bill
and they're one of his largest contributors." Davis must decide by
September 30.
Whatever he does, Davis can't avoid alienating one of two important
constituencies that he'll need during this fall's reelection
campaign: either growers or the labor unions.
"This is the time," UC Berkeley political science professor Bruce
Cain said of the looming election, "when the liberal democrats have
the maximum amount of influence with him, though they know that once
Gray gets re-elected, he'll go back to ignoring him again."
"At the same time, he doesn't want to lose his ties to business and
agriculture. It's not just growers, it's also the people who depend
on growers, and his standing in the Central Valley, especially with
swing voters. He's been cultivating his relationship with
growers and agriculture for several years. But he has a race to win,
so he has to keep the liberals happy so they'll turn out and rally
the troops. It's not an easy decision. Either way, he's going to be
having second thoughts. If he vetoes, he risks that Latinos
will no-show at the polls. If he signs, agricultural business and
centrists will say he ignored them."
Cain predicted a veto.
As the long line of UFW supporters wound through the leafy streets of
downtown Sacramento upon their arrival in town last weekend, the
hundreds of marchers included riders on horseback carrying U.S. and
Mexican flags and Aztec dancers in traditional garb. Motorcycle cops
blocked intersections as stopped motorists beeped their horns in
support.
Near the front was Paul Chavez, the sixth of Cesar Chavez's eight
children. Chavez, 45, runs the National Farm Workers Service Center,
a nonprofit founded by Huerta and his father that provides affordable
housing and job training for farm workers. He looks like his
dad.
Chavez won't come out and say it, but he seemed mad that the UFW
can't get a commitment out of Davis after supporting him back in the
early in the days of the 1998 Democratic primary, when few thought
Davis had a chance. "There was a strong bid by Al Checchi to
court Latinos, and we were the first Latino group to come out in
favor of Davis. During the campaign, we had people who were active
all over the state."
On the last few blocks of the march, striding down I Street toward
Cesar Chavez Plaza, Chavez recalled Davis working with his dad in
1975. "If my father were still alive, he'd be here with us and he'd
let the governor know that the right thing to do is pass this
legislation."
And if he doesn't?
"We'll keep the pressure on."
Copyright: 2002 Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
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