Newsom Vetos AB 616 Gouv. Newsom Vetos AB 616 (card verification)

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) would like to thank Governor Gavin Newsom for his veto on AB 616, the most recent version of card check legislation for unionizing employees. This bill would have deprived agricultural workers of the right to an impartial and secret election.

President Ian LeMay said, “On behalf of the Association, we would like to thank Governor Newsom for his veto on AB 616 today. We appreciate his understanding of the impact this bill would have had on agricultural workers and their right to choose whether or not to have union representation. As stated in the governor’s veto message, the CFFA leadership is ready to work with the administration, the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) to protect rights and advance opportunities for all Californian farmers.

LeMay continued, “The Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA) has long protected the right of agricultural workers to a secret ballot election supervised by the ALRB, free from intimidation or influence from any interested party. . Today’s veto at AB 616 preserves the right to a free and fair electoral process for all Californian farm workers from those who sought to take this away from them right now.