Posts By: Jeff Janas

100+ Degree Temps Expected around California This Week; Cal-OSHA Issues Heat Warnings

Following the issuance of excessive heat warnings for many areas throughout California by the National Weather Service’s issuance, Cal/OSHA sent out a notice reminding employers to protect their outdoor workers from heat illness. The greater San Diego area and the Inland Empire east of Los Angeles as well as cities in the San Francisco Bay ...

Gonzalez’s Ag Overtime Bill Defeated on Assembly Floor

Yesterday, the California Assembly rejected a UFW-sponsored overtime bill by a final vote count of 38-35, with seven members abstaining. Western Growers helped lead a broad coalition of organizations from both agriculture and allied industries in the effort to stop the bill. We appreciate the engagement of our members in reaching out to their Assembly ...

AB 1513 SAFE HARBOR DEADLINE SET FOR JULY 1: Attend Compliance Seminar on June 22

Western Growers will present an AB 1513 “Safe Harbor” seminar conducted by industry lawyers on June 22 at the Taylor Farm headquarters in Salinas, Calif. July 1, 2016, is the deadline for employers to elect the safe harbor option under AB 1513. Employers who timely make the election and back payments will have a legal ...

WG to Mark Transportation Program Anniversary by Holding Giving Day Campaign

For nearly ten years, Western Growers has been strategically aligned with C.H. Robinson through the Western Growers Transportation Program (WGTP) allowing us to offer our members access to a full array of turnkey supply chain solutions that include consultative account management, tailored pricing options, national surge capacity and business intelligence. To mark the 10-year anniversary ...

AB 1513 SAFE HARBOR DEADLINE SET FOR JULY 1: Attend June 22 Compliance Seminar

Western Growers will present an AB 1513 “Safe Harbor” seminar conducted by industry lawyers on June 22 at the Taylor Farm headquarters in Salinas, Calif. July 1, 2016, is the deadline for employers to elect the safe harbor option under AB 1513. Employers who timely make the election and back payments will have a legal ...

Fight Continues on California Farmworker Overtime

In an unfortunate development for California’s farmers and farmworkers, Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez (D, San Diego) has amended one of her bills in the Senate to now include language from her previously defeated AB 2757. AB 1066 would repeal the longstanding 10-hour daily and weekly overtime requirements currently in place. The legislation would incrementally decrease ...

ALRB Member’s Reappointment Opposed by WG at Hearing

The state Senate Rules Committee met yesterday to consider Governor Brown’s reappointment of Genevieve Shiroma to the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB). Her appointment was opposed  by several agriculture associations, as well as farmworkers, who cited Shiroma’s close ties to United Farm Workers (UFW) lobbyist Richie Ross and the potential conflict of interest she had in…

Cal/OSHA Urges Continued Diligence in Protecting Workers from Extreme Heat

With temperatures reaching 120 degrees in parts of California over the weekend and throughout this week, Cal/OSHA is reminding employers to be diligent in protecting their workers during the current and future heat waves. In addition to the basic steps outlined by California’s heat regulation for employers with outdoor workers, heat above 95 degrees Fahrenheit ...

Organic Compost Court Ruling Leaves Farmers in Limbo

This past Monday, a federal district court issued a decision in the Center for Environmental Health v. Vilsack case striking down a five-year-old federal Guidance document allowing the use of composted municipal green waste on organic farms in California.  Western Growers previously weighed in on the case having filed an amicus brief that laid out ...

WG Issues Statement on Supreme Court DAPA Ruling

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a tie decision that keeps in place a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit blocking the Administration’s efforts to grant millions of undocumented persons reprieve from deportation. The 4-4 decision upholds a lawsuit brought by Texas and 25 other states that sued to block President ...

Western Growers Issues Joint Response to The Produce News’ EFI “Advertorial”

On June 21, 2016, The Produce News published an “article” titled “Equitable Food Initiative partners with industry to advance labor issues.” The piece touts the Equitable Food Initiative as a “‘one-stop-shop’ certification covering labor, pest management, and food safety standards.” The story, which also contains a three-minute video of…

Ag Overtime Bill to be Heard in Senate Labor Committee

Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez’s (D-San Diego) resurrected agriculture overtime bill is expected to be voted on tomorrow in the Senate Labor Committee. Western Growers helped lead a broad coalition of organizations from both agriculture and allied industries to defeat AB 2757, a UFW sponsored bill in the Assembly, in early June. However a procedural maneuver ...

AB 1513 SAFE HARBOR DEADLINE SET FOR JULY 1: Resources Now Available for WG Members

July 1, 2016, is the deadline for employers to elect the safe harbor option under AB 1513. Employers who timely make the election and back payments will have a legal defense to claims for back wages and other penalties associated with unpaid and underpaid piece-rate compensation. Western Growers conducted an AB 1513 “Safe Harbor” workshop ...

UFW-Sponsored Ag Overtime Bill on the Move in California Senate

Yesterday, the Senate Labor Committee passed AB 1066, a bill that would decrease the existing overtime threshold levels for California farmworkers. Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez resurrected the UFW-sponsored bill that was killed in the Assembly (formerly AB 2757) on June 3 of this year. The bill now advances to the Senate Appropriations Committee. A hearing ...

Nisei Farmers League Challenges AB 1513 Piece-rate Legislation

Calling the legislation ambiguous and unconstitutional, the Nisei Farmers League (NFL) filed an application for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction with the Superior Court of California in Fresno against AB 1513. The state law that requires piece-rate workers to be paid for “other non-productive time” and rest and recovery periods separate and apart ...

PRESS RELEASE: WG RESPONDS TO SUPREME COURT DAPA RULING

IRVINE, Calif. (June 23, 2016) — Statement by Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif in response to yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling on the Obama Administration’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs: “We believe our nation’s immigration policies should be determined by the legislative branch of our…

REMINDER — WG Board of Directors Nominee Ballot Deadline is Friday, July 1

Planning for the July 4th holiday may be keeping you busy but don’t forget to submit your nomination ballots to elect the 2017-2018 Western Growers Board of Directors. Your nomination ballot must be received by this Friday, July 1, 2016.  All regular members are encouraged to cast their secret ballots for candidates whom they believe ...

Fraud Alert — Growers Being Targeted with Fake Invoice Scam

Western Growers has been made aware of a scam targeting growers by one of our members and we want to alert other members to it. The scammers are using owner’s email addresses and targeting the company controller by submitting fake invoices. We understand this is how it happens: Owner’s email is compromised A new domain ...

New Colorado Law Gives Employee Access to Personnel Files

On June 10, 2016, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed into law House Bill 16-1432 that requires employers to allow current and former employees to inspect and copy their personnel files. The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2017. Under HB 16-1432 current employees are entitled to inspect and copy their own personnel file ...