Catherwood LibraryILR School

In a move reminiscent of the campaigns that secured the 1975 passage of California?s Agricultural Labor Relations Act, the United Farm Workers yesterday marched on the California State Capitol to put pressure on Governor Gray Davis to sign what could be the most significant agricultural labor bill of recent times (see WIT for July 8, 2002). Passed by the State Senate in May and the State Assembly earlier this month (see WIT for Aug. 6, 2002), bill SB 1736 would implement binding arbitration for deadlocked agricultural labor contract negotiations---putting an end to the bad faith negotiating and delay tactics farm workers say growers have used to subvert their union rights. Despite the outpouring of support for the farm workers by celebrities, democratic leaders in the State Legislature and his own Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante who participated in the rally that capped the 150-mile march, Governor Davis? recent political maneuvering suggests that he may veto the bill.