[The United Farm Workers union set out for a 24-day march from
Delano to Sacramento, the state’s capital. ]
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CALIFORNIA FARMWORKERS EMBARK ON 335-MILE MARCH FOR VOTING RIGHTS  
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Shea Swenson
August 3, 2022
Modern Farmer
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_ The United Farm Workers union set out for a 24-day march from
Delano to Sacramento, the state’s capital. _

California farmworkers are on the move. , F Armstrong Photography,
Shutterstock.

 

Around 500 farmworkers took their first steps today in a march for
voting rights that will take the participants 335 miles across the
state of California over 24 days. 

The march, entitled “March for the Governor’s Signature
[[link removed]],” is a rally to urge
California governor Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would allow more
voting options for farmworkers when casting a ballot for or against
unionization—adding both mail-in or drop-off ballot choices. 

The march began today at the United Farm Workers union’s original
headquarters in Delano, California, and it will continue over the
course of the next few weeks. Participants will be starting the walk
at 7 am every day until they reach their final destination, the state
capital in Sacramento. They’re expected to arrive on August 26 after
marching on foot for an average of 15 miles per day. 

Farmworkers have faced historic discrimination when it comes to fair
labor practices and have long been excluded from labor protections
under federal and state laws. In the past, farmworkers have been
purposefully left out of protections such as the 1938 Fair Labor
Standards Act [[link removed]], which
guarantees overtime pay, as well as the 1935 National Labor Relations
Act [[link removed]],
which makes it illegal for an employer to fire an employee on the
basis of supporting a labor union. And now, reports _Civil Eats_
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less than one percent of American farmers are part of a labor union.

The current law dictates that farmworkers are allowed the right to
vote if they want to be represented by a union. As of now, the voting
process involves workers voting at an in-person-only venue, designated
by the ​​Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB). The process
typically happens at the workers’ place of employment. The voters
must present an identification card or pay stub and are then handed a
ballot to vote on anonymously. The ballots are then reviewed by the
ALRB.

A new bill—AB 2183, the Agricultural Labor Relations Voting Choice
Act [[link removed]]—would protect
voters from acts such as voter suppression by employers, who could
face fines of up to $10,000 for the suppression or any predatory labor
practices. The goal of the bill is to eliminate hurdles for voters,
along with subjection to intimidation and threats when casting their
ballot. 

The language of the bill adopts the same used for voters’ rights in
political elections in California, meaning it allows for farmworkers
to mail in their ballots or opt to drop them off at designated
locations instead of needing to be physically present to vote. This
provides the opportunity for the workers to seek help with completing
their ballot, as well as the option to have assistance in delivering
the ballot, as it would allow others the right to do so on behalf of a
worker. 

Governor Newsom, who has previously declared August 26 as
“farmworker appreciation day,” vetoed the 2021 farm worker voting
choice bill in September of last year.

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* California March for Farmworkers Rights; Governor Newsom; Voting
Rights for California Farm Workers;
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