Posts By: Jeff Janas
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10th Anniversary of the Western Growers Transportation Plan – The Celebration Continues
Our celebration of the Western Growers Transportation Program’s (WGTP) ten-year anniversary continues with today’s publication of C.H. Robinson’s Transportfolio’s blog guest-authored by WG Senior Executive Vice President Matt McInerney. McInerney’s piece begins by recounting how transportation issues with the railroad led a handful of Imperial Valley growers to begin the association.…
Sac Bee Op-Ed Makes Case for Why Legislators Need to Oppose Ag Overtime Bill
An op-ed published in the Sacramento Bee by the head of the Yolo County Farm Bureau yesterday effectively reiterates Western Growers’ opposition to AB 1066, the ag overtime bill (Gonzalez-D) that threatens the potential future earnings of farmworkers. The bill jeopardizes the available work hours and jobs of farmworkers who, according to the op-ed, “can ...
China Requires Treatment of Imported Shipments from U.S. Due to Zika Virus
China has added the United States to the list of countries that are required to perform anti-mosquito treatment, effective August 5, 2016 (excludes shipments in transit prior to that date). The disinsection requirement appears to apply to the container or vessel and is NOT specific to the commodity. Although spelled out in the released information, ...
Senate Passes Ag Overtime Bill; Bill Moves to Assembly
This afternoon, the California Senate passed AB 1066, the ag overtime bill by a vote of 21 to 14, with 4 abstentions. The bill now moves to the Assembly for consideration and could likely be voted on this week. Western Growers urges ALL members — whether they have already done so or not — to ...
Update to Chinese Requirements on Imported Produce Due to Zika Virus
Last week, USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service announced that China added the United States to the list of countries that are required to perform anti-mosquito treatments for produce imports. WG sought clarification from government officials on some vague disinsection requirements, including exemption requirements for certain temperature-controlled commodities. Those clarifications are summarized…
Ninth Circuit Rules Class Action Waivers in Arbitration Agreements Unenforceable
On August 22, 2016, a divided panel of Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Morris v. Ernst & Young holding that class action waivers in arbitration agreements violate Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and are unenforceable. Section 7 of the NLRA provides that employees have the right “to engage in . ...
California Assembly Adjourns for the Week with No Action on AB 1066
The California Assembly adjourned this week taking no action on the ag overtime bill, AB 1066. The body will reconvene on Monday. Opponents of this legislation have been persistently lobbying legislators and will continue their efforts through the weekend. It is imperative for Western Growers members to reach out to your assembly member and urge ...
Giving Day Celebration Nets 240k Lbs. of Donated Produce for Communities in Need
Yesterday, Western Growers and C.H. Robinson hosted a Giving Day to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Western Growers Transportation Program. The national event used C.H. Robinson’s Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, hub and transportation system to collect and distribute 240,000 pounds of produce donations made by Western Growers’ members to Feeding America locations across the country.…
WG Issues Statement Expressing ‘Extreme Disappointment’ on Passage of AB 1066 in CA Assembly
After the California Assembly passed AB 1066, the ag overtime bill this afternoon by a vote of 44 Yeas, 32 Nays and 4 abstentions, Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif released a statement expressing “extreme disappointment” with passage of the bill. Nassif said the legislation, coupled with the recently enacted $15/hour minimum wage in ...
CDFA Posts Report on Proposed Regulatory and Response to Comments on ACP and HLB
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has released its response to public comments provided on the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) and Huanglongbing (HLB) Disease proposed regulation changes. CDFA’s response includes suggestions for improving the regional quarantine concept. All total, 84 oral and written comments on the proposed regulation changes for citrus nursery stock…
Colorado Produce Growers Ask Members of Congress for Help Against Overregulation
Last week, the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (CFVGA) held a roundtable discussion and asked U.S. Representatives Mike Coffman (CO-6) and Ken Buck (CO-4) for assistance in fighting government overregulation. Robert Sakata, CFVGA president and WG member, hosted the event that also included Colorado Department of Agriculture Commissioner Don Brown and representatives from the…
Employees Can Now Report Labor Law Violations Online
The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and its Labor Commissioner’s Office recently launched an online system for reporting labor law violations. The new system simplifies the process for reporting wage theft and other labor law violations, and enables the Labor Commissioner’s Office to receive real-time leads on businesses that are breaking labor laws. DIR is ...
Strawberry Grower Fined $2.4 Million for H-2A Program Abuses
An administrative law judge has ordered Gonzalo Fernandez, who operates Fernandez Farms Inc. in Watsonville, to repay kickbacks and rent he collected from more than 400 H-2A workers. According to the decision, Fernandez requested payments of more than $1,600 apiece from several hundred foreign workers over the 2010 and 2011 seasons as reimbursement for transportation ...
WG Member Gets California Water Shortage Op-ed Published in Capitol Hill Newspaper
An astute op-ed on the California water supply crisis authored by WG member Cannon Michael, president of Bowles Farming (Los Banos), was published today in the congressional newspaper, The Hill. Michael took the federal government to task for its inability to manage water resources in the state saying that despite visits by President Obama, several ...
Save the Date – Locations and Dates Set for AB 1513 Safe Harbor Town Halls
Please plan on joining Western Growers for one of our AB 1513 Safe Harbor town hall discussions on complying with the technical and logistical details of the new piece-rate law. Learn from legal practitioners and fellow employers in this interactive discussion. We will make registration information and other details available once finalized. Coastal…
‘Veto Website’ Designed to Provide Governor with Data on Potential Impacts of AB 1066
Last week, AB 1066 passed the California Assembly. The bill is now awaiting action by Governor Jerry Brown. Western Growers and other industry and business community partners have been urging Gov. Brown to veto the legislation and have created a website that allows farmers to easily share data on the potential impacts of the bill ...
Yuma Ag Center Receives Iceburg Lettuce Grant
Last week, the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA) announced it received a grant from the Arizona Iceburg Lettuce Research Council (AILRC) for the collection, production, and dissemination of lettuce disease research results. Disease control and management was cited as the highest priority area of research focus by the industry according to a ...
Barbic Discusses Labor Issues at Farm Foundation Forum Event
The Farm Foundation Forum held a panel discussion today to address food and agriculture issues likely to be faced by the next administration. Ken Barbic, senior director of federal government affairs, participated in the event and focused on labor issues. In his remarks, Barbic outlined the need for immigration reform and the industry’s policy priorities, ...
DWR Closes First SGMA Basin Boundary Modification Period
Last week, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced the first Basin Boundary Modification request period is now closed and that the final 2016 modifications will be published online in late September. The boundaries of California’s basins are identified in Bulletin 118, unless other basin boundaries are established through Basin Boundary Modification Requests. Basin ...
Establishing Safe Harbor for the New AB 1513 Piece-Rate Law
AB 1513 introduced new wage and hour requirements for piece-rate workers, fundamentally changing labor costs for many agricultural employers, and leaving some vulnerable to liability for back pay and penalties. During this transition, the new law offers a conditional “affirmative defense” to claims for damages or statutory penalties based on an employer’s alleged failure to ...