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 siding with the UFW by voting against Gerawan farmworkers who sought to have their ballots counted following an ALRB-supervised vote to decertify the UFW. Shiroma was also criticized by opponents, as well as state Senators Tom Berryhill (R-Modesto) and Anthony Cannella (R-Ceres), for participating in ALRB’s rejection of farmworker Silvia Lopez’s petition that Shiroma should have recused herself from the Gerawan matter. 

Shiroma retained Ross as her political consultant during her campaigns for election to the board of the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District.

In addition to submission of a joint letter of opposition, testimony during the hearing was registered by Western Growers, California Fresh Fruit Association, California Citrus Mutual, Nisei Farmers League, African American Farmers of California and the group of Gerawan farmworkers.

The Rules Committee voted 3-2 along party lines to recommend that the full Senate confirm Shiroma. 

Please contact WG’s Matthew Allen at (916) 446-1435 for more information.