Posts By: Jeff Janas
- All
- December, 2022
- December, 2017
- November, 2017
- October, 2017
- September, 2017
- August, 2017
- July, 2017
- June, 2017
- May, 2017
- April, 2017
- March, 2017
- February, 2017
- January, 2017
- December, 2016
- November, 2016
- October, 2016
- September, 2016
- August, 2016
- July, 2016
- June, 2016
- May, 2016
- April, 2016
- March, 2016
- February, 2016
- January, 2016
- December, 2015
- November, 2015
- October, 2015
- September, 2015
- August, 2015
- July, 2015
- June, 2015
- May, 2015
- March, 2015
- February, 2015
- January, 2015
WG Urges Opposition to Bill Expanding Regulatory Reach Over Private Property
AB 975, a bill that would restrict landowner’s water rights and devalue and limit the use of their property within a quarter mile of any river designated as “wild and scenic,” is awaiting a vote by the full Assembly. The legislation is authored by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale). Want more details on why this is ...
Howard P. Marguleas, Produce Industry Icon and Founder of Sun World International, Passes Away
Howard P. Marguleas, 82, principal founder of Sun World International, a long time-member of Western Growers, passed away on June 1, 2017, following complications from cancer. Due to his forward-thinking approach to marketing fresh produce and tree nuts, Marguleas is viewed as an iconic figure in the produce industry. According to his obituary, Marguleas began ...
CA Legislature Takes Action on Bills to Meet House of Origin Deadline
The first year of the 2017-2018 California legislative session is in full swing and the Legislature took action last week on hundreds of bills in order to meet the house of origin deadline. Several key labor, water and crop protection bills that WG has been actively lobbying are updated below. AB 5 (Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San ...
DOL Rescinds Obama-era Guidance on Joint Employment, Independent Contractors
On June 7, 2017, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced its withdrawal of two administrative interpretations issued by the DOL in 2015 and 2016 relating to misclassification of joint employment and independent contractors. These two administrative statements issued by the Wage and Hour Division during the Obama administration expanded DOL’s interpretation of the…
Ducey Official Tapped to Serve as Operations Chief at US EPA
This week, the Office of Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced that Henry Darwin, Ducey’s Chief Operating Officer and the former Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, was selected to serve as Chief of Operations for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C. Darwin has served as COO since August of 2015 and ...
Register for Tomorrow’s Webinar on Arizona’s New Paid Sick Time Law
On July 1, 2017, Arizona’s new Paid Sick Time law goes into effect. To help members prepare and comply with the new rules, Western Growers will be conducting a live webinar on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. The webinar will highlight topics including the following: Minimum paid sick time benefits and alternatives Qualifying ...
CA Industrial Relations Department to Offer Free Farm Labor Contractor Workshop
The Labor Commissioner’s Office at the California Department of Industrial Relations is offering free licensing and application assistance workshops to current or prospective farm labor contractors on Friday, June 30 in Oakland. Free workshops are held every Friday in Fresno. Staff from the Labor Commissioner’s Office will be available for one-on-one assistance for first-time…
DOL Reinstitutes Use of Opinion Letters
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced today that it will return to the practice of issuing opinion letters to provide guidance to employers and employees on questions arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act. After 70 years, the DOL stopped issuing opinion letters in 2010 in favor of issuing more broad policy statements known ...
Office of Foreign Labor Certification to Host H-2A Webinar Tomorrow June 28
On Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. PDT, the Office of Foreign Labor Certification will host a webinar to educate stakeholders, program users, and other interested members of the public on recent program workload trends, common deficiencies and best practices associated with employer requests for H-2A applications for temporary labor certification. The objective for ...
US Agencies Begin Two–Step Rulemaking Process to Redefine WOTUS Definition
In an effort to return power to the states and provide regulatory certainty to farmers and businesses, the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Army, and Army Corps of Engineers have taken the first of a two-step process to redefine ‘waters of the U.S.’ (WOTUS). President Trump issued an Executive Order this past February clearing the ...
Immigration Enforcement Bill Advances in California Senate
This week, after receiving the bill from the California Assembly, the Senate Industrial Relations and Labor Committee advanced AB 450, legislation that puts private employers in a no-win situation between federal immigration enforcement and state enforcement by punishing employers who voluntarily comply with federal authorities. As has been previously communicated, Western Growers is part of…
Fed-OSHA and NIOSH Develop Heat Safety Tool App
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have developed a real-time heat index app that helps employers and employees plan work around the heat. The app gives users hourly heat forecasts for individual locations and also provides safety and health recommendations on preventing heat illness. ...
CA Employers Now Required to Provide Notice to Employees Who Are Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault & Stalking
As a result of AB 2337 being signed into law on September 14, 2016, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office has issued guidance outlining the notification process and rights of employees who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. AB 2337 requires ALL California employers to provide new employees — and other employees who ...
New California Criminal History and Transgender Workplace Rules Effective July 1, 2017
The California Fair Employment & Housing Council recently issued two regulations – one in connection with use of an applicant’s or employee’s criminal history and another related to transgender discrimination. Criminal History The regulations reiterate various provisions of existing state law that prohibit employers from using very specific criminal history information in employment…
Ag Industry Files Amici Curiae Letter to Court of Appeal
Western Growers, California Farm Bureau Federation, Ventura County Agricultural Association and Grower-Shipper Association Central California, have filed an application to the 6th District Court of Appeal to file an Amici Curiae (friend of the court) letter in support of a California harvesting company’s suit in connection with the safe harbor provisions of California’s piece-rate law,…
2017 WG Comp and HR Survey Results Now Available to All Members
During a webinar held last week, Western Growers’ human resources experts provided members with a sneak peek into exclusive data from WGs’ 2017 Professional Compensation & HR Practices Survey. The newly-released report is the most comprehensive analysis available on compensation and HR practices for the California and Arizona fresh produce industry, designed to help members ...
House Judiciary Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Ag Industry’s Labor Needs
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security held a hearing on labor and immigration issues facing the agriculture sector. In addition to several private sector panelists, Congressman David Valadao (CA-21) presented testimony before the Subcommittee. Congressman Valadao discussed issues critical to California agriculture, including the need to address…
Western Growers Signs onto Amicus Brief Asking for Supreme Court Review of Critical Habitat Decision
Western Growers, along with the non-profit Coalition for a Sustainable Delta (CSD) and the San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority, recently filed an amicus brief in Markle Interests v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In the brief, the signors urged the U.S. Supreme Court to grant review of the petition of Markle Interests, a ...
Court Strikes Down Obama-Era Overtime Rule
A Texas federal judge has issued a final ruling striking down the Obama administration’s overtime rule, invalidating the rule on the grounds that it went too far, essentially making all employees who perform exempt duties, but who make less than the high salary threshold “non-exempt.” The judge did note that the Department of Labor (DOL) ...
California’s Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Legislation Tabled until January
The final days of California’s legislative session ended last week with a flurry of activity. High on the list of priorities for leadership included housing, the gas tax, cap-and-trade and a park bond, all of which required a 2/3rds vote for passage. These bills left little room to move other legislation, including SB 623, a ...