To: Governor Gavin Newsom
Farm workers are marching to Sacramento. Join them virtually.
Enough with "not yet." The time is now. Farm worker lives are put at risk on a daily basis. When the revised "Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act and the farm worker overtime bill cross your desk, please sign them immediately.
Why is this important?
Farm workers started a 13 day, 200 mile march to Sacramento on August 23. Their goal? To press for enactment of the Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act and the right to be paid overtime after 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week just like any other worker. The "Fair Treatment For Farm Workers Now" will end on Sept. 4th, Labor Day weekend, at the State Capitol. If you're in California, please consider joining workers for one of the days of the march.
If you can't join the march in person, please join virtually by signing their petition by clicking the grey "submit form" button to the right.
Two months ago, Gov Brown vetoed the Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act, a bill that would have made it easier for farm workers to join a union and speak up for their rights. More than 1,000 farm workers visited the Capitol during the 12 days Governor Brown deliberated on the bill. Risking their jobs to attend, they held vigils, fasted and rallied for change. They told the Governor how the laws in the books are not the laws in the fields. They talked about having no bathroom breaks, no overtime pay, no respect and the lack of enforcement of heat regulations. And they were right-- two more workers may have died of heat related illness this year alone.
Farm workers can't afford to wait any more, not when their lives are at risk. So they are using their marching feet to try and convince Gov. Jerry Brown to sign their new bills when they reach his desk.
In Governor Brown's veto of the "Fair Treatment for Farm Workers Act," he says he is "not yet convinced." For farm workers, "not yet" means farm workers don't get water and shade. "Not yet" means farm workers continue to die of heat illness. "Not yet" means farm workers do not have basic justice implemented by the Agricultural Labor Relations Act. “Not yet” means hundreds of farm workers who last year voted for union representation have waited more than a year for the Agricultural Labor Relations Board to take the simple act of certifying the elections.
Enough with "not yet." The time is now. Join the virtual march by signing the petition to get farm workers the fair treatment they deserve.