Newsom signs farmworkers union bill after pressure from Biden

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law a bill expanding union organizing rights after receiving pressure from President Biden this month to support the legislation.

Newsom’s office said a deal was reached with the United Farm Workers (UFW) union and the California Labor Federation to clarify language on additional legislation that would address implementation of the unionizing bill.

The governor held a bill signing ceremony in Sacramento attended by farmworkers and advocates for the legislation.

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

The new law expands the ability of farmworkers to vote during a union process, allowing them to do so by mail or by submitting a card to a California Agricultural Labor Relations Board office. Advocates say the bill will prevent intimidation during the voting process.

Newsom, who vetoed a similar bill that reached his desk last year, said earlier this month he could not sign the bill in its current form after the state legislature sent it to his desk.

The California governor faced pressure to sign the legislation after UFW organized a 335-mile march to Sacramento and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged him to support it.

Biden also endorsed the bill, saying that in a “state with the largest population of farmworkers, the least we owe them is an easier path to make a free and fair choice to organize a union.”

“Farmworkers worked tirelessly and at great personal risk to keep food on America’s tables during the pandemic,” the president said in a statement.

The endorsement put a rare wedge between Biden, who has promised to be one of the most pro-union presidents in history, and Newsom, a rising star in the Democratic party who is flirting with a 2024 White House run.

The agreement reached between Newsom, UFW, and the California Labor Federation before he signed the bill includes a cap on the number of card-check petitions over the next five years. It also ensures additional protections for worker confidentiality and safety.

The governor’s office said those agreements will be included in additional legislation introduced next year.

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