Save the Date June 18 — Western Growers’ Central Valley Issues Forums

June 18th, 2015

Western Growers’ Central Coast Issues Forums were such a huge success, we decided to host another round! Next up — the Central Valley.  So ‘Save the Date’ because on Thursday, June 18, the Western Growers’ team will be visiting Fresno, Los Banos, and Bakersfield to hear from YOU.

What issues concern you most?  What would you like to see done at the state and federal levels on immigration, water, food safety, and other issues?  How about GMO labeling for non-GMO produce? Do you know what state legislators, members of Congress and the administration officials are saying on the topics that concern you?  We do. So plan on attending one of our three meetings scheduled for that day so you can hear from us and we can hear from you!  We invite you to bring a few of your key employees as well.

And to make it a little more interesting, WG will be conducting an informal presidential straw poll at each event so we can get an early read on who our members are favoring for the 2016 presidential election.  Feeling excited about a particular candidate?  Come on out and cast your ballot to let us know how you feel.

Over 150 people representing a multitude of WG members in the Central Coast showed up for our meetings last week in Oxnard, Salinas and Santa Maria voted, and exchanged their thoughts and ideas with our staff.  And they got to do it while enjoying a complimentary breakfast, lunch or dinner.

During the Issues Forums and question and answer period, members will hear from WG President CEO Tom Nassif; WG Chairman Vic Smith (JV Smith Companies; Dave Puglia, senior VP of government affairs and communications; Jason Resnick, VP and general counsel; Hank Giclas, senior VP of science and technology and strategic planning; and David Zanze, senior VP of WG Assurance Trust.

REGISTER NOW to attend at the location nearest you!

WG Issues Forums — Thursday June 18

Breakfast Issues Forum — Fresno

(Breakfast will be served)

8:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m.

Pardini’s

2257 West Shaw Ave., Fresno 93711

Luncheon Issues Forum – Los Banos

(Lunch will be served)

12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Wool Growers

609 H St., Los Banos, 93635

Dinner Issues Forum — Bakersfield
(Reception at 5:00; Dinner served at 5:30)

5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Wool Growers

620 E. 19th St., Bakersfield, 93305

REGISTER NOW!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Conflicts Abound Over Water in California

June 17th, 2015

A trio of water issues has come to a head, sparking both congressional intervention and legal action in the fight for water in California.

First, the State Water Contractors (SWC) filed a complaint today with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) asking it to issue orders preventing water diverters in the Delta south of the San Joaquin River from diverting in excess of their water rights.  SWC alleged the “substantial and unlawful diversions… threaten to increase the burden of limited stored water supplies, affecting both the environment and other water users.”   

State Water Contractors is an association of 27 public agencies served by the State Water Project, which delivers surface water to much of Southern California and several irrigation districts south of the Delta. 

In another issue, a bipartisan group of 18 members of Congress sent a letter to Governor Jerry Brown late last week urging restoration of the Sacramento River Temperature Management Plan.  The Members of Congress asked for the governor to reverse SWRCB Executive Director Tom Howard’s suspension of the plan, citing “the magnitude of environmental and social-economic consequences to the state as a result of the decision to be made are extreme and demand engagement at the highest levels.”   They also proposed a short list of principles to guide the development of the best achievable solution to the pending decision, including:

  • Maximizing beneficial use of water this year
  • Balancing outcomes of endangered species
  • Relying upon expertise of state and federal operators and biologists
  • Using all available conventional and non-conventional tools

Late today the SWRCB announced that it is extending the suspension as officials work on a revised plan. 

Finally, with curtailment orders issued for some senior water rights holders, several lawsuits are expected to surface. Byron-Bethany Irrigation District and Oakdale Irrigation District are examining their options and are likely to take legal action challenging the state’s authority to curtail pre-1914 water rights.  WG will continue to update readers.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Help Us Help You – Take Our 10 Minute Survey

June 18th, 2015

As a member-driven organization, Western Growers is always looking to better understand the issues that affect your business so we can continue to improve our offering of products and services.  To that end, we have designed the following survey to assist in accomplishing that goal.

Please consider taking 10 minutes to complete the survey and provide us with the feedback necessary to allow us to continue to meet your membership needs.  As always, any information or data you provide is for internal use only.  We will never share your individual responses.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY

Tags:
Posted in News | No Comments »

U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Raisin Supply Management Program

June 23rd, 2015

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the requirement that raisin growers to set aside a portion of their crop to be placed in reserve to control price and supply was in violation of the Constitution.  The Courts said the marketing order violated the Fifth Amendment prohibition that requires the government pay just compensation when it takes personal property for public use.

The Court held, “The reserve requirement imposed by the Raisin Committee is a clear physical taking” that causes raisin growers “to ‘lose the entire bundle’ of property rights in the appropriated raisins.”

The decision has the potential to affect marketing orders for other commodities such as almonds and dates, however, since similar programs rarely exercise reserve orders, it is unlikely. For more information, please contact WG’s Ken Gilliland (949) 885-2267.

Tags: ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

June 30 Webinar — Harnessing Your Data

June 25th, 2015

Join Western Growers Senior Vice President of Science & Technology Hank Giclas to learn more about the increasing demand for information about the farm, farm practices and Western Growers’ efforts to assist members in the market and regulatory arenas. In anticipation of such demands, Western Growers has partnered with iFoodDecisionSciences to offer easy-to-use food safety tools via a mobile, scalable cloud-computing data management system. Once data is captured in the field it is securely stored through your company’s micro-website.

The iFood tools offer:
• Data security through individual company password protected micro-websites
• Data warehousing and analytics 
• Data stewardship
• Data dashboard reports by crop, ranch or other criteria to assist in managing your business
• Data integration with third party applications for easy reporting to agencies and customers (coming soon)

Features include, but are not limited to:
• Environmental Assessment
• Microbial Testing
• Cooling/Packing/Processing

Join us to learn more about how to harness your data in order to improve performance, reduce costs and demonstrate how your operation keeps food safe and protects the environment.

Webinar Details
Tuesday, June 30
8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

REGISTER HERE

Featured Speakers
Matt Salley, iFoodDecisionSciences, Vice President
Hank Giclas, Western Growers, SVP Science and Technology

Tags:
Posted in News | No Comments »

WG Analysis of the Final WOTUS Rule

June 4th, 2015

Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) issued final rule changes on the “Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.” The rule triggers federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.Public reaction to the rule over the last year has been heated. Some accused the EPA of extending its power beyond the scope Congress intended, and others claimed the rule didn’t go far enough. Although the rule has been finalized it is likely that it will not have a chance to be implemented before Oct. 1 – the new budget cycle – when many in Congress are threatening to cut off funding for it.

Western Growers’ federal affairs staff submitted comments late last year along with over a million other comments, seeking clarification in certain areas of the rule including: the legitimacy of the rules; states’ rights over the federal rules; and the numerous ambiguities, omissions, and definitions within the rule.Western Growers also asked that the finalization of the rule be delayed until state and local governments had been given more time to engage.The full comments, the white paper and other background documents are available here.

The final rule released last week did have changes from what was previously proposed. The definition of “ditch” and how it relates to jurisdictional water under the “tributary” definition had been confusing and concern was expressed by agriculture as well as irrigation and water districts. In the final rule, many, if not most of those concerns were clarified in order to maintain or even strengthen protections and exemptions to ensure jurisdiction by the federal government was not expanded. Western Growers also expressed grave concerns over how adjacent land as a category was being defined and how that might impact agricultural lands. Again, most if not all of the confusion over these definitions, was cleared up. Finally, Western Growers raised concern over a proposed joint EPA-USDA rule and that rule was withdrawn completely. All of these changes were positive, however, several areas of the rule continue to be of concern including a sufficient definition for what amount of hydrological flow is necessary to establish “connections.”

The Supreme Court has expressed on several occasions that at the heart of the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction is hydrology or water flow and the meaning of the term “navigable.” In the final rule, EPA and the Corps should have explained the connection of various water bodies with each other and hence how jurisdiction could be claimed more precisely. Furthermore the two agencies appear to continue to believe that wildlife indicators of connection are sufficient, on their own to establish jurisdiction which again we do not believe addresses what the Court has routinely said is the heart of the Clean Water Act. Should this regulation ever be challenged in court, those would appear to be areas where the agencies might lose.

While a court challenge of these regulations is possible, Congress is more likely to suspend the implementation of these rules as part of the next budget cycle which begins Oct. 1, 2015. Members of both parties in both chambers oppose the expansiveness of the regulations and many members of Congress have promised to cut off all funding to implement this rule as part of the next budget package. For practical purposes, that means the EPA and the Corps will have less than four months to implement these complex regulations. It would be very difficult to train all the people needed to begin implementing this new regulation in that time span before funding might be cut off. Implementation could not then begin until after the 2016 Presidential election and there is a new Administration in place in 2017. The next president is then likely to institute a review of these regulations and be in a position to change them.

For more information, please contact WG’s Dennis Nuxoll.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

California Assembly Unanimously Passes Groundwater Adjudication Bill; Bill Awaits Senate Action

June 4th, 2015

On a 76-0 vote, the California Assembly passed a bill (AB 1390 – Alejo/Gomez ) that makes improvements to the process governing judicial proceedings related to groundwater adjudications. The changes reduce the burden of groundwater adjudications on both the courts and claimants without altering the law of groundwater rights and without disrupting the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act planning process. Western Growers supported the legislation, along with many other key agriculture groups. The bill now moves to the Senate where we will continue to push for its passage.

The legislation was brought forth as a result of Governor Jerry Brown signing the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act into law last year, a comprehensive three-bill package that established a new structure for managing groundwater in the state. Western Growers opposed the collective of bills and along with several other agriculture groups, asked Governor Brown for a veto of the legislation. Our support for the passage of AB 1390 is based on its intent to clarify and streamline the current groundwater basin adjudication process which can be a cumbersome, lengthy and costly process.

AB 1390 will work in conjunction with the Groundwater Management Act to verify groundwater rights in a basin, which may be important to the planning process, and allow the court to encourage the parties to cooperatively develop a groundwater sustainability plan pursuant to the Act to serve as the basis of a stipulated judgment setting forth a physical solution for management of the basin.

The bill would also facilitate and encourage the early settlement of groundwater adjudications by providing tools and opportunities for courts, claimants, and local groundwater management entities to develop solutions in a more timely manner, further reducing costs on the courts, claimants and local entities.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Additional Restrictions on Chlorpyrifos Effective July 1

June 9th, 2015

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) issued a notice on June 2, 2015, that effective July 1, 2015, chlorpyrifos products labeled for production of an agricultural commodity will become California restricted materials. Applicators who wish to purchase, possess, or apply affected chlorpyrifos products will have to obtain a restricted materials permit from their County Agriculture Commissioner (CAC).

Tags: , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Bill Minimizing Economic Harm during Port Labor Disputes Lauded by WG & CFVGA

June 9th, 2015

Western Growers and the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) issued a joint statement last week applauding the introduction of legislation aimed at minimizing economic harm at ports due to labor disputes.

Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), introduced the Protecting Orderly and Responsible Transit of Shipments (PORTS) Act on June 4, 2015. The bill expands upon existing Taft-Hartley authority which is already applicable in the case of port disruptions and disputes. The PORTS Act would grant authority currently reserved only for the president, to state governors, including the ability to convene a board of inquiry and start the Taft Hartley process when a dispute is causing economic harm.

Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif said, “I applaud the leadership Senator Gardner is providing on this critical issue. The damage caused by the port disruptions along the West Coast over the past year demand Congressional action. While the issues involved may be politically challenging and there is no silver bullet, it is clear that leaders need more tools to address these disruptions if they occur in the future. We welcome this first step towards legislative action and look to members of both parties in the Senate and House to pursue additional measures to avoid these crises in the future.”

“We are glad to see Senator Gardner step up to tackle a difficult issue and one that had a significant impact on Colorado growers over the past year,” said Robert Sakata of Sakata Farms in Brighton, Colorado, a Western Growers member and head of the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Association.  While, Colorado is not home to a port and is not the leading state for agriculture exports, many of our growers were significantly impacted when products from other states intended for export were kept in the United States, flooding the domestic market in a manner that lead to devastating impact for many Colorado producers.”

Tags: , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Still Time to Sign Up for June 10 ACA Webinar

June 9th, 2015

If you haven’t signed up to learn about the Affordable Care Act, the ACA Dashboard and IRS Form 1094-C and 1095-C Filing and Furnishing, you still have time. And if your company has 50 or more full-time employees, you want to make the time.

Under the Affordable Care Act, large employers – as of 2016, any employer with 50 or more full-time employees – must file informational forms with the IRS and furnish information to full-time employees about the coverage offered. That means these companies need to be tracking their employees’ data now to be ready to report in 2016.

Additionally, all self-funded employers of any size, including all companies that get health benefits from the Western Growers Assurance Trust, have to provide these reports.

Prepare Now

In-house tracking solutions and typical payroll systems can’t fully address the evolving complexity of the ACA. That’s why we created the ACA Dashboard to help employers like you. It’s an integrated management tool that uses your company’s payroll data to provide the data you need for ACA monitoring, reporting and documentation.

Find Out How It Works at the Webinar

Attend the hour-long webinar June 10, 2015, at 10 a.m. PDT to hear Jon Alexander help make sense of the rules you have to follow and demonstrate the ACA Dashboard’s Form 1094-C and 1095-C reporting tools.

Webinar Details

Affordable Care Act Webinar: ACA Dashboard and IRS Form 1094-C and 1095-C Filing & Furnishing
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
REGISTER NOW

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Central Valley Issues Forums Are THIS Thursday, June 18th — Are You Coming?

June 11th, 2015

Central Valley members: We’re not saying you don’t have other things to do and your day isn’t busy.  And we’re not suggesting that you don’t care what’s happening with the issues that affect your business. But we are suggesting that maybe you just haven’t gotten around yet to registering for one of our Central Valley Issues Forums being held on Thursday, June 18th in Fresno, Los Banos and Bakersfield. 

Over 150 of your friends and competitors registered for our Central Coast Issues Forums last month.  They heard from WG executive staff on key issues and asked the questions they had been waiting to ask. So now’s your chance.

SIGN UP TODAY for one of three 90-minute Issues Forums being held on Thursday, June 18, including a breakfast forum in Fresno, a luncheon forum in Los Banos and a dinner forum in Bakersfield.

Want to know more about immigration reform, labor and workplace regulations, water supply or food safety issues? Do you have questions on GMOs, health care, or ag tech issues? Do you know what state legislators, members of Congress and the administration officials are saying on the topics that concern you? This is your chance to get informed while enjoying a complimentary breakfast, lunch or dinner with your co-workers and fellow ag industry members.

Finally — to make it a little more interesting — WG will be conducting an informal presidential straw poll at each event so we can get an early read on who our members are favoring for the 2016 presidential election. Feeling excited about a particular candidate? Come on out and cast your ballot to let us know how you feel.

REGISTER NOW to attend at the location nearest you!
WG Issues Forums — Thursday June 18

Breakfast Issues Forum — Fresno
(Breakfast will be served)
8:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m.
Pardini’s
2257 West Shaw Ave., Fresno 93711

Luncheon Issues Forum – Los Banos
(Lunch will be served)
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Wool Growers
609 H St., Los Banos, 93635

Dinner Issues Forum — Bakersfield
(Reception at 5:00; Dinner served at 5:30)
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Wool Growers
620 E. 19th St., Bakersfield, 93305

REGISTER NOW!

RSVP HERE with choice of session and number of guests or with Scott Finn at 949-885-2268.

Tags:
Posted in News | No Comments »

Budget Proposal to Raise Water Right Fees by $4.1 Million Halted

June 11th, 2015

Western Growers successfully led a coalition of agricultural organizations in stopping the administration’s proposal to increase water rights fees by $4.1 million to pay for the completion of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan.  This proposal would have resulted in a significant increase in water rights fees especially for growers in the Imperial Valley and on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.

The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Resources agreed with our position that the new funding should come from the General Fund rather than from water rights holders; however, the Senate Subcommittee approved the governor’s proposal without changes so the item was heard in the Budget Conference Committee Tuesday evening.

Budget Conference Committee members, Senators Leno, Lara, Nielsen and Assemblymembers Weber, Bloom and Melendez discussed the item and Senator Lara moved the Assembly version.  The vote was unanimous. 

WG appreciates the work of several legislators whose efforts were critical in this debate.  Assemblymembers Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) and Rich Gordon (D-Menlo Park) were instrumental in the budget subcommittee.  The Central Valley Caucus, led by Assemblymember Adam Gray (D-Merced) and Senator Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres), weighed in with a letter to the Conference Committee. Senators Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) and Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) advocated for our position as well.  Finally, WG is thankful for the support of Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) for her support of our position. 

Since things can change at any moment in the budget process, we will remain vigilant.  The legislature must pass the budget by June 15 and the Governor must sign it by July 1.

Please contact Gail Delihant at (916) 446-1435 if you have any questions.

Tags:
Posted in News | No Comments »

Key Trade Votes Scheduled in Congress for Tomorrow

June 11th, 2015

Today, the House approved a procedural motion that paves the way for consideration tomorrow of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation, along with several other trade related measures.

 Earlier in the day, Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA) publicly announced his support for TPA, Western Growers thanks him for stepping out in support of this critical vote.

 The House is expected to vote on final passage of TPA sometime Friday afternoon and if the legislation is approved it will be sent to the president for signature.

 Western Growers continues to urge members to reach out to your Member of Congress encouraging support for TPA.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Lunch & Learn Webinar June 24 — Current Regulatory Environment on Air Quality

June 11th, 2015

The environment is always a hot topic and air quality, in particular, has the attention of both state and federal regulators. Are you up to speed on issues related to air quality and Best Management Practices (BMPs)? If not, join Western Growers for another of our ‘Lunch and Learn’ webinars geared toward providing you with an overview of current regulatory issues at  federal and state levels. Matthew Allen from Western Growers’ Sacramento office will focus on the status of air quality regulations and Rusty Van Leuven from the Arizona Department of Agriculture will focus on the current Arizona BMPs program and upcoming changes likely to affect many businesses. Participation is complimentary so REGISTER NOW!

Webinar Details

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

REGISTER NOW!

Featured Speakers:

Matthew Allen, Western Growers

Rusty Van Leuven, Arizona Department of Agriculture

Please contact Sonia Salas at (949) 885-2251 for more information.

Tags:
Posted in News | No Comments »

90th Annual Meeting — Reserve Your Room Now at The Grand Del Mar in San Diego

June 11th, 2015

Plan now to attend Western Growers’ 90th Annual Meeting November 8 – 11, 2015, in San Diego, at The Grand Del Mar. Rooms are available at a special group rate – reserve your room today to guarantee your space.

The Grand Del Mar is a luxury golf and spa resort nestled in the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve. From stunning views to championship golf, flawless accommodations and one of the only five-star spas in the country, The Grand Del Mar is a wonderful venue for having fun in the sun.

A reserved block of rooms is available at a special group rate from November 7 – 12, 2015.  Mention Group Code: WGAA1115 when booking your room.

The cutoff for this group rate is October 5, 2015, and the hotel fills up quickly. Book early to reserve your room.

Book your room at The Grand Del Mar

5300 Grand Del Mar Court
San Diego, CA 92130

Phone: (855) 222-7668 | Group Code: WGAA1115

For more information or questions, please contact Randy Hause at (949) 885-2265.

Tags:
Posted in News | No Comments »

Failed Trade Assistance Bill Leaves Murky Path Forward for TPA

June 17th, 2015

On Friday, June 12th, the House held a series of trade related votes, including a measure to advance Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). While the Senate had passed TPA along with Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) in a single bill, the political dynamics in the House would not have allowed for that combined package to garner 218 votes because a majority of Democrats are opposed to TPA and many Republicans are opposed to TAA. The House decided to instead divide the package into two separate votes, if both measures passed on their own, they’d essentially be rejoined and would have mirrored the Senate passed bill, thus allowing the president to sign the legislation.

An op-ed by President and CEO of Western Growers Tom Nassif was published in the Sacramento Bee prior to the vote extoling the benefits of trade to ag and urging members to vote for the package of trade bills.  Following the votes on Friday, Western Growers issued a statement applauding passage of the TPA and urged the House to swiftly pass the remaining trade provisions so the legislation could be sent to the president for his signature.

Additionally, Western Growers commended the 24 members of Congress from Arizona, California, and Colorado that voted in favor of TPA. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) provided outstanding leadership in garnering sufficient Republican support, during debate on the measures, he also highlighted the importance for exports to California agriculture and produce in particular. Further, Democrat Congressmen Ami Bera (CA-7), Jim Costa (CA-16), Sam Farr (CA-20), Scott Peters (CA-52), Susan Davis (CA-53), and Jared Polis (CO-2) should all be commended for taking difficult votes in favor of TPA in the face of heavy union opposition and against House Democrat leadership.

House Leadership and the White House have been meeting and strategizing since Friday’s votes to determine alternatives paths forward on this issue. The House may take up the TAA vote again in the coming weeks, although there are no signals that the voting dynamics would change absent major changes and some type of deal. The House may also choose to move a stand-alone TPA bill though it is not clear that the same number of members would vote in favor of a stand-alone bill. Procedurally, this would require further action by the Senate, adding time to the process and could be difficult to achieve.

Western Growers will continue to make the case for the importance of TPA and work with Congress, the Administration and other business groups to see Trade Promotion Authority become law.

 For more information or if you have questions, please contact Ken Barbic at (202) 296-0191.

Tags: ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

Attend a Central Valley Issues Forum for a Chance to Win a Complimentary Annual Meeting Registration

June 17th, 2015

How would you like to win a complimentary registration (a $995 value)* for Western Growers 90th Annual Meeting in San Diego at The Grand Del Mar Resort and Spa? All you have to do is attend one of our three Issues Forums planned for the Central Valley THIS THURSDAY, June 18, for a chance to win.  Attendees are automatically registered.   

Western Growers’ Board Members and Executive Staff invite to attend one of these important 90-minute forums to hear from WG and to share your views.  If your busy schedule doesn’t allow you to attend, please feel free to send key staff members in your place. Over 150 of your friends and competitors registered for our Central Coast Issues Forums last month. 

Want to know more about immigration reform, labor and workplace regulations, water supply or food safety issues? Do you have questions on GMOs, health care, or ag tech issues? Do you know what state legislators, members of Congress and the administration officials are saying on the topics that concern you? This is your chance to get informed while enjoying a complimentary breakfast, lunch or dinner with your co-workers and fellow ag industry members.

Finally — to make it a little more interesting — WG will be conducting an informal presidential straw poll at each event so we can get an early read on who our members are favoring for the 2016 presidential election. Feeling excited about a particular candidate? Come on out and cast your ballot to let us know how you feel.

REGISTER NOW to attend at the location nearest you!
WG Issues Forums — Thursday June 18

Breakfast Issues Forum — Fresno
(Breakfast will be served)
8:00 a.m. 9:30 a.m.
Pardini’s
2257 West Shaw Ave., Fresno 93711

Luncheon Issues Forum – Los Banos
(Lunch will be served)
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Wool Growers
609 H St., Los Banos, 93635

Dinner Issues Forum — Bakersfield
(Reception at 5:00; Dinner served at 5:30)
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Wool Growers
620 E. 19th St., Bakersfield, 93305

REGISTER NOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN YOUR COMPLIMENTARY ANNUAL MEETING REGISTRATION!

RSVP HERE with choice of session and number of guests or with Scott Finn at 949-885-2268.

*Full registration includes Sunday’s Welcome Reception, Major Luncheon, Workshops, Supplier’s Event, Chairman’s Reception and Award Dinner. 

Tags:
Posted in News | No Comments »

Register Now for June 24th Lunch and Learn on Air Quality Regs

June 18th, 2015

Are you up to speed on issues related to air quality and Best Management Practices (BMPs)? If not, join Western Growers for another of our ‘Lunch and Learn’ webinars which will provide you with an overview of current regulatory issues at federal and state levels. Matthew Allen from Western Growers’ Sacramento office will focus on the status of air quality regulations and Rusty Van Leuven from the Arizona Department of Agriculture will focus on the current Arizona BMPs program and upcoming changes likely to affect many businesses. Participation is complimentary. REGISTER NOW!

Webinar Details

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

REGISTER NOW!

Featured Speakers:

Matthew Allen, Western Growers

Rusty Van Leuven, Arizona Department of Agriculture

Please contact Sonia Salas at (949) 885-2251 for more information.

Tags: , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

House Advances Stand-Alone TPA Bill

June 18th, 2015

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives was able to advance Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) by a vote of 218-208. The Senate will likely consider the stand alone TPA measure next week and will also take up Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) legislation separately from TPA.

This new strategy to split the two issues will require maintaining almost all the Senators who supported the combined legislation in May. If the Senate is able to pass the House approved TPA bill, the legislation could go to the President as early as next week.

Western Growers encourages members to reach out to Senate offices and encourage passage of TPA when the Senate considers this legislation.

For more information, please contact WG’s Ken Barbic at (202) 296-0191.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

House of Origin Deadline Pushes CA Legislature to Pass Bills

June 18th, 2015

The first year of the 2015-2016 California legislative session has advanced beyond the June 5th deadline for bills to be voted out of their house of origin. Several key labor and employment bills that WG has been actively lobbying are updated below.

AB 67 (Gonzalez, D-San Diego) – Oppose: This bill would require employers to compensate non-exempt employees at no less than twice the employee’s regular rate of pay on Thanksgiving. Collective bargaining agreements would not be covered by this legislation as long as they provide holiday premium pay. The previous version of this bill would have required double pay on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. WG and a large coalition of business interests is opposed to this bill because it increases employer costs and violates employers’ constitutional rights by forcing the recognition of certain days as family holidays. If passed, this bill would also set a new precedent for future efforts to mandate double pay on other annual holidays. AB 67 failed passage in the Assembly, but remains eligible to be heard next year.

AB 465 (Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina) – Oppose: AB 465 would outlaw pre-dispute employment arbitration agreements. These agreements have been authorized by both the California Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. WG is part of a large business coalition opposing this bill because it will lead to an increase in litigation costs for both individual claims and an increase in the number of representative and class action lawsuits against California employers. This bill passed out of the Assembly, was passed by the Senate Labor Committee, and will next be heard on June 23rd in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

AB 561 (Campos, D-San Jose) – Oppose: This bill is sponsored by the United Farm Workers and was recently amended to drop its most onerous provision. The remaining provision would require an ag employer who appeals or petitions for a writ of review of any order of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, to post a bond in the amount of the entire economic value of the order. Assemblymember Campos made a commitment on the Assembly Floor to further narrow the bill to “make whole awards” only. The bill was passed off the Assembly floor and will be heard on June 24th in the Senate Labor Committee.  WG and allied ag organizations continue to seek the defeat of this bill.

AB 1506 (Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina) – Support: This recently-amended bill would provide employers with a limited opportunity to cure technical violations on an itemized wage statement before being subject to very costly litigation through the Labor Code Private Attorney General Act, or PAGA. AB 1506 will help curb some of the frivolous PAGA claims that businesses face every year. This bill will next be heard in the Senate Labor Committee.

SB 3 (Leno, D-San Francisco) – Oppose: SB 3 would increase the minimum wage on January 1, 2016, to $11 per hour, and on July 1, 2017, to $13 per hour. Beginning January 1, 2019, the minimum wage would be automatically adjusted higher on an annual basis according to the California Consumer Price Index. This bill was passed by the Senate and is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Labor Committee on July 8th.  A large coalition of business interests is strongly opposing this bill.

Please contact WG’s Matthew Allen at (916) 446-1435 for more information.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in News | No Comments »

« Older Entries