Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) announced that employers who participate in H-1B, H-2A and H-2B temporary nonimmigrant visa programs should expect delays due to “technical network problems.” The technical problems with the iCERT Visa Portal System (iCERT System) is resulting in delays in the processing of temporary ...
Last week, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released the Final Guidelines and Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) for stakeholders who wish to apply for the 2015 Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Grants. The deadline to submit applications is March 30, 2016. $30 million in grant funding is available for a wide range of agricultural water ...
PickJustice.com, a website dedicated to farm workers’ rights, recently posted a video charging the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board and the United Farm Workers Union with colluding to prevent the farmworkers’ votes from being counted in a decertification election demanded by the workers. Farm workers featured in the video share their disappointment at the way ...
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recently begun to intensify its Form I-9 enforcement activities. It has been reported that a flurry of Notice of Inspections (NOIs) have recently been sent to Santa Maria agricultural employers. The NOI results in an audit of the employer’s Form I-9s and often triggers the dismissal of a ...
On Wednesday, February 10, Senator Feinstein introduced the California Long-Term Provisions for Water Supply and Short-Term Provisions for Emergency Drought Relief Act (S. 2533). According to the Senator’s press release: “The revised bill I’m introducing today is the product of two years of work. It includes provisions from Democrats and Republicans alike… This bill won’t ...
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced that it will release draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) regulations this week as part of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). DWR is required to finalize GSP regulations by June 1, 2016. An overview of the draft regulations was presented to the California Water Commission yesterday and ...
Last week, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) released its draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) regulations and announced that three public meetings will be held in March during which time the agency will receive public comment on the proposal. The meetings will take place between March 21st and 25th at the following locations: Monday, ...
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) has issued noticed that the OSH Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on Wednesday March, 2, 2016, in Yuma, Arizona. Among other agenda items, the committee will be entertaining discussion and taking public comment on recommendations for a proposed ‘backover’ standard covering agriculture issues in ...
Later this spring, the Supreme Court will be taking up U.S. v. Texas, and the court’s decision in this case will determine whether the Obama Administration’s expanded deferred action program, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), is allowed to proceed or not. A number of groups across the country and in California are preparing ...
IRVINE, Calif. (February 16, 2016) — Statement by Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif encouraging congressional action following introduction of the California Long-Term Provisions for Water Supply and Short-Term Provisions for Emergency Drought Relief Act by Senator Dianne Feinstein last week: “We are encouraged by Senator Feinstein’s introduction of a revised drought…
The Brown Administration and local water and irrigation districts are well into the process of implementing the 2014 groundwater management legislation. With mandated deadlines looming, members who depend on groundwater need to get involved at the local level to provide input on the best way for your local groundwater management agency to attain sustainability in ...
Governor John Hickenlooper and the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program, in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University are set to host the 25th annual Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture on February 18 in Denver. The focus of the 2016 Governor’s Ag Forum will be “The Next Generation of Agriculture” and will ...
Our 90th Annual Meeting held this past November was a productive, elegant and memorable event. Much work goes into preparing the meeting, and a great deal of the meeting’s success is owed to our sponsors. Over the course of the year, Western Growers likes to remind members about those companies who acted as sponsors and ...