Since August, farmworkers have protested in Sacramento, demanding Gov. Gavin Newsom sign a law advancing farmworkers’ union rights.
On Wednesday afternoon, Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2183 (AB 2183), which allows farmworkers to vote in union elections by mail-in ballots and authorization cards submitted to the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, in addition to existing in-person voting.
“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 Gov. Newsom in a press release.
Newsom’s administration negotiated with the United Farm Workers (UFW) and the California Labor Federation to pass AB 2183. Gov. Newsom vetoed an earlier version of this bill last year, citing “various inconsistencies and procedural issues.”
UFW celebrated in a Twitter post. Its president, Teresa Romero, thanked the protesters and farmworkers who advocated for passage of the bill.
“This is your victory: every worker who sacrificed, every one of you who struggled and donated your time and your energy to get this done,” Romero said in the post.
Romero is the first woman and immigrant president of the UFW. She spoke at Fresno State on March 24 during the university’s Cesar E. Chavez commemoration event, where she also advocated for AB 2183.
The bill was introduced by Assembly Member Mark Stone, and it will include a cap on the number of card-check petitions over the next five years, protecting farmworkers’ confidentiality and safety.
It will be implemented at the start of 2023.