Newsome, Biden and the UFW

[gounion]

Interesting article on Politico:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has spent the past year taking on top Republicans. Now, he finds himself at odds with President Joe Biden and other leading Democratic figures over pro-union legislation in his home state.

Biden delivered an indirect but embarrassingly public rebuke for the ambitious governor by calling for passage of the bill, which would make it easier for farmworkers to unionize, as Newsom signaled he may veto the legislation for a second time.

To add further insult, Biden delivered his message just before Labor Day as Newsom was preparing to buff his pro-union credentials by signing a bill vehemently opposed by the restaurant industry that will help set wages and working conditions for the state’s fast-food workers.

The governor is privately seething over the Biden endorsement, said five people with knowledge of the governor’s thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose internal discussions. Newsom’s office declined to comment for this story.

Biden headlines a growing list of top Democratic officials who have backed the measure, including Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Now, Newsom must choose between the state’s powerful agricultural interests and a celebrated union — all while under a glaring national spotlight amid intense speculation about his presidential ambitions that he stoked with recent high-profile sparring with Republican governors.

“He’s getting squeezed from all sides,” said Steve Maviglio, a longtime Democratic consultant who served as communications director for former Gov. Gray Davis.

The United Farm Workers ratcheted up the pressure on Newsom last month as members of the iconic California-based union and thousands of supporters marched from their headquarters in the San Joaquin Valley farm town of Delano to the state Capitol in Sacramento.

Newsom did not personally meet with workers or UFW representatives once they arrived at the Capitol. His staff went in his place, meeting with a group that included the family of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, who died while working in the field in 2008.

Newsome SHOULD be signing this bill. At this point, I don't have a strong feeling one way or the other about Newsome, but this puts a bad taste in my mouth, that's for sure.

[carmenjonze]

Turns out he changed his position and did sign it!

Never should have opposed it. Glad Joe & Kamala admin stepped up and said something.

Alongside Farmworkers at the State Capitol, Governor Newsom Signs Law Expanding Farmworker Union Rights - gov.ca

SACRAMENTO – Today, alongside advocates and farmworkers outside the State Capitol, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation expanding union rights for farmworkers. This follows the Governor, United Farm Workers (UFW), and the California Labor Federation having agreed in a letter on clarifying language to be passed during next year’s legislative session to address Governor Newsom’s concerns around implementation and voting integrity.

“California’s farmworkers are the lifeblood of our state, and they have the fundamental right to unionize and advocate for themselves in the workplace,” said Governor Newsom. “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.”

AB 2183 by Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) creates new ways for farmworkers to vote in a union election, including options for mail-in ballots, and authorization cards submitted to the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, in addition to the existing in-person voting process.

The supplemental agreement between the Newsom Administration, UFW, and the California Labor Federation includes a cap on the number of card-check petitions over the next five years, and will allow the ALRB to adequately protect worker confidentiality and safety. This additional agreement would be codified into law with a bill next year that would be supported by both the administration and the union. The agreement will be codified with additional legislation next year backed by the union and the administration.

More in link.

[Libertas]

We have a good governor.

Imagine voting for a governor (talking to you FL and TX) who works 24/7 to harm you.

[Bludogdem]

Governor Newsom agrees to sign voting bill after agreement to add private voting at polling places.

Three options. Reasonable agreement.

Would also be helpful if the President issued an executive order that prohibited ICE From being anywhere near the polling places.