Posts By: Matthew Allen
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California Releases New COVID-19 Employer Playbook for Safe Reopening
As California businesses begin reopening, the State has released the COVID-19 Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening, which provides guidance for employers to help them plan and prepare for reopening their business and to support a safe, clean environment for workers and customers. The guidance and links in each section are provided to give employers ...
California to Phase Out Gas-Powered Cars by 2035
Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order requiring that, by 2035, all new cars and passenger trucks sold in California must be zero-emission vehicles. Newsom’s press release states that the executive order is his latest action for “aggressively mov[ing] the state further away from its reliance on climate change-causing fossil fuels while retaining and ...
Newsom Vetoes SB 1102 – H-2A Bill
Yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1102, the H-2A bill authored by Senator Bill Monning. Western Growers thanks all of our members who responded to our Action Alerts and reached out to their legislators and Governor Newsom requesting that the bill be vetoed. Your collective outreach made a significant impact on the outcome of ...
U.S. EPA Grants Valley Air District Funds to Replace Ag Tractors, Low-Dust Harvesters
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District recently received over $30 million in additional U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding to augment its grant program to replace old agricultural tractors and low-dust harvesters. The District will use $20,000,000 from this grant for its Tractor Replacement Program. The funding will support the replacement of approximately ...
California Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board To Consider Emergency Rulemaking On COVID-19 Prevention
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is poised to consider, and will likely approve, an emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 prevention at its meeting on Thursday November 19th. The proposal is a result of a petition that was filed by the nonprofit Worksafe and plaintiffs’ lawyers. Unfortunately, the tight timelines and process that ...
OSHSB Issues Notice of Emergency Regulatory Action Regarding COVID-19 Worker Protection
Monday, November 30th, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) announced the approval of the Emergency Temporary Standards for COVID-19 Prevention by the Office of Administrative Law. The emergency standards require that employers implement a site-specific written COVID-19 prevention program to address COVID-19 health hazards, correct unsafe or unhealthy conditions…
WG, Coalition Support Bill Prioritizing COVID-19 Vaccines for Ag Workers
WG has joined a coalition of 28 California agriculture associations in support of AB 93, a bill by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (56th AD) that prioritizes workers in the food supply industry, including field workers, for rapid testing and vaccination programs in response to COVID-19. In a letter to Assemblymember Garcia, the coalition states: “With COVID-19 ...
California Governor Gavin Newsom Releases 2021 State Budget
On Friday, January 8th, California Governor Gavin Newsom released his 2021, $227 billion state budget. The budget situation has improved considerably relative to the June budget act with a $26 billion windfall for this fiscal year. However, the operating deficit could grow to $17 billion by 2024-25 if spending is not curbed. Newsom proposes $1.5 ...
Governor Newsom, Legislative Leaders Reach Agreement for Californian Pandemic Hardship Relief
California Governor Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon recently announced that they have reached an agreement on a package of immediate actions to speed pandemic hardship relief to individuals, families and businesses. Included in the relief package is a four-fold increase (from $500 million to more than $2 billion) ...
CA Sets Aside 40 Percent of Vaccine Doses for Hardest-Hit Communities
Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state has set aside 40 percent of vaccine doses for its most impacted communities and established a vaccine equity metric to increase vaccinations in those communities. The state aims to deliver a minimum of 2 million vaccine doses to these communities, in an effort to move counties ...
Arizona Anticipates Colorado River Shortage
On Friday, April 2, 2021, the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Central Arizona Project released a joint statement on the presumption of a “Tier 1” shortage declaration on the Colorado River. A “Tier 1” shortage declared on the river will result in an additional 320,000 acre-feet cut, for a total of 520,000 acre-feet ...
CA Bill That Changes Law for H-2A Workers Heads to Senate
AB 857, a California bill that would change the law by expanding the definition of “voluntary” and “mandated” travel time, passed off the Assembly Floor today and now heads to the Senate. AB 857 attempts to: add new situations whereby travel time would be required to be paid to H-2A employees; go well beyond existing ...
AB 616 Passes Off Assembly Floor, Now Heads to CA Senate
Yesterday, the latest UFW bill that erodes employees’ free choice and threatens employers’ due process rights (AB 616), passed out of the California State Assembly. AB 616 now heads to the Senate. AB 616 (Stone) is the latest incarnation of card check legislation, which undermines the secret ballot election process that has been at the ...
Ag Labor Legislative Update
The California Legislature is currently in peak season as the Assembly and Senate rush to complete consideration of bills that were introduced in their respective houses. As a general rule, bills have to move out of their house of origin by June 4th in order for them to survive and continue through the legislative process. ...
Western Growers Among Business Organizations Requesting Newsom to Issue Executive Order Conforming Workplace Regulations with CDC and CDPH Guidelines
Western Growers recently signed onto a letter urging California Governor Newsom to issue an executive order to conform workplace regulations with the Centers for Disease Control and California Department of Public Health guidelines. The letter stated that the suggested Executive Order should: Align the Cal/OSHA masking guidelines with the CDC Align the physical distance guidelines ...
Special Permit for Increase in Weight for Agricultural Product Haulers Now Available
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) now offers temporary special permits that increase the maximum overweight total up to 88,000 pounds for transportation of certain agricultural products. The permit applies only to overweight trucks hauling the following agricultural products: tomatoes, peaches, pears, grapes, onions, carrots, citrus, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, olives,…
Incentive Funding for Electric Forklifts Available
The Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust is now offering incentive funding for electric forklifts, awarding up to $175,000 per forklift. Key Program Details Applies to forklifts with a lift capacity of 8,000 lbs or greater Applicants may be anywhere in California and in any use or sector Awards are up to $175,000 per forklift, with up ...
Valley Air District Governing Board Receives $178.2 Million Grant to Phase Out Open Agricultural Burning
The Valley Air District Governing Board will expand a grant program to assist farmers in phasing out the open burning of woody waste thanks to $178.2 million in new state funding. Instead of open burning, the expansion of the Alternatives to Agricultural Open Burning grant program will fund San Joaquin Valley farmers to transition to ...
UFW-Sponsored AB 616 Passes California Senate Vote
On Thursday, AB 616, which would erode farmworkers’ choice in whether or not to join a union and threaten employers’ due process rights, passed a floor vote in the California Senate. The final vote tally was 24 Ayes-11 Noes and 5 Abstentions. AB 616 will now go to the California Assembly for a concurrence vote. ...
WG Denounces Passage of UFW Card Check Bill in California Legislature
The California State Legislature has passed AB 616—first in the Senate on August 26 and then in the Assembly yesterday with a final vote of 52 Ayes, 19 Noes and 8 Abstentions. The bill now heads to the desk of California Governor Gavin Newsom. AB 616 is the latest incarnation of card check legislation, which ...