The California Legislature is expected to vote this week on a multi-billion dollar transportation tax increase proposal put forth by Governor Jerry Brown, Speaker Rendon and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon. Western Growers issued an Action Alert to members yesterday urging them to contact their respective assemblymember and senator to tell them to ...
Attorney General Jeff Sessions told Fox News last week that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities will be directed toward deporting felons, not farmworkers. Sessions said the Justice Department does not intend to target illegal immigrants who have not committed crimes beyond illegally entering the country. In response to his statements, Western Growers’ President ...
The 26th Annual California Water Policy Conference will be held this month in San Diego from April 6-7 and will bring together water leaders representing agricultural, environmental, urban, government and private sector constituencies, as well as interested individuals from the general public. The conference provides a unique forum where attendees can inform and be informed ...
Last week, Western Growers joined other members of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) in sending a letter to President Donald Trump. The letter emphasized the importance of immigration reform for America’s farmers and ranchers. The letter, signed by 70 groups representing a diversity of commodities and regions, called for reforms that ensures American agriculture has a ...
Late last week, Western Growers and the New Mexico Chile Association (NMCA) announced the formation of a strategic partnership following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that allows each party to coordinate on business matters and policy issues of mutual interest. Under the terms of the agreement, all NMCA members that grow, distribute, ...
Farmer Veteran Coalition, a national nonprofit organization that assists military veterans embarking on careers in agriculture, will host a Veteran Career Fair April 19, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Satellite Student Union aboard California State University, Fresno. The event provides a public platform to allow the Coalition to continue building on ...
Farmer Veteran Coalition, a national nonprofit organization that assists military veterans embarking on careers in agriculture, will host a Veteran Career Fair April 19, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Satellite Student Union aboard California State University, Fresno. The event provides a public platform to allow the Coalition to continue building on ...
The California Department of Industrial Relations has updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) concerning implementation of the state’s paid sick leave (PSL) law. The FAQ clarifies that employers may not generally deny the employee the right to use, or discipline an employee for using, any available PSL, regardless of the employer’s attendance policy. However, an ...
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued a notice announcing the allowable charges that H-2A employers may charge their workers when the employer provides three meals a day and the maximum travel subsistence meal reimbursement that a worker with receipts may claim in 2017. The notice also includes a reminder regarding an H-2A employers’ ...
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a notice informing employers that if they downloaded the “Smart Form” version of the Form I-9 between November 14 and November 17, 2016, they should now download, save, and start using a new Form I-9. There was a glitch when the revised Form I-9 was first published ...
Despite staunch opposition from the agricultural community, the California Senate confirmed former Senator Isadore Hall to the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) today on a 25-13 vote. Since his initial appointment by Governor Jerry Brown in January, Western Growers has expressed dismay with the decision. The process for appointing Hall was flawed, as the governor ...
As we reported here in anticipation of the February 16 “Day Without Immigrants,” employers need to prepare for another potential walkout on May 1, 2017. Unions and worker advocates, including The Food Chain Workers Alliance, have announced that thousands of workers across the food system—from farm workers to restaurant workers—will be striking on May 1. ...
On Tuesday, following the official swearing-in of Sonny Perdue as the new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, President Trump held a roundtable discussion with 15 farmers that included Western Growers’ Board Member A.G. Kawamura. The discussion focused on the issues of agricultural trade, regulatory reform, rural investment and infrastructure, the Farm Bill, and agricultural labor. Following…
IRVINE, Calif. (April 12, 2017) – The California State Fair announced that Tom Nassif, Western Growers President & CEO, has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious 2017 Agriculturalist of the Year Award for his extensive contributions to the California agricultural industry. In selecting Nassif for the recognition, the California State Fair Ag Advisory ...
IRVINE, Calif., (April 27, 2017) – Responding to President Trump’s decision to not immediately withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif issued the following statement: “We agree with the President’s determination not to immediately withdraw from NAFTA. The benefits of this agreement have not been uniformly felt…
This week, members of the Western Growers Executive Committee joined WG President and CEO Tom Nassif and other Arizona board members for our annual Arizona Leadership meetings. During the course of their visit, the WG contingent met with Governor Doug Ducey, House Speaker JD Mesnard, Senate President Steve Yarbrough, Director of the Department of Water ...