Free Republic

It’s taken nearly five years of administrative battles, legislative interference, and lawsuits, but the California state government has finally counted farm workers’ votes in a union election at the state’s largest fruit grower, Fresno-based Gerawan Farming. The final verdict, tallied on Tuesday, explains why the Jerry Brown administration and Democratic statehouse leaders did everything in their power to destroy the votes without counting them. The margin: 1,098 workers voted “no” to the United Farm Workers, with only 197 workers voting in favor of UFW representation. There still are 635 disputed ballots, but even the math geniuses in Sacramento can see...

California Senate President pro Tempore ​Kevin ​De León is facing another scandalous issue A letter from Sen. Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) spelled out an appalling episode, in which several fruit growers whom Hall allegedly threatened, on the eve of his confirmation hearing to the Agricultural Labor Relations Board.

No Support For Shiroma; Many Offer Opposition Testimony How confident should Senators be when a governor’s appointee to the state Ag Labor Board faced opposition testimony with a line out the hearing room door, “and around the block,” but not one person attended in support? A testy and contentious confirmation hearing before the Senate Rules Committee Monday for Genevieve Shiroma, a 17-year member of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, ended after extensive testimony with a proverbial “F-you” to farm workers, when lawmakers voted 3-2 along party lines to confirm Shiroma.

A group of Fresno farm workers is accusing the state of California of forcing them into the United Farm Workers union. Workers at Fresno-based Gerawan Farms held an election in November to determine whether or not they would remain in the UFW. However, those ballots were never counted. The Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) seized the ballots until it could investigate UFW allegations of voter impropriety. “We direct the regional director to forward to the Board and serve on all parties to the election all challenged ballot declarations and all other evidence in his possession relevant to the eligibility of...