Martin, Philip

from ARE Update Vol. 15, No. 3, Jan/Feb, 2012

View Article PDF: Labor Relations in California Agriculture: Review and Outlook

Abstract

California enacted the Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA) to “ensure peace in the agricultural fields by guaranteeing justice for all agricultural workers and stability in labor relations.” Almost four decades later, fewer than 20,000 of the 600,000 to 800,000 workers employed for wages sometime during the year on state farms are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Unions argue that employers discourage workers from exercising their union rights by interfering during union-organizing campaigns, prompting an amendment to the ALRA effective in 2012, that increases penalties on farm employers who unlawfully interfere with worker rights during organizing campaigns.

Keywords

Farm workers, unions, ALRA, ALRB, secret-ballot elections

Citation

Martin, Philip. 2012. "Labor Relations in California Agriculture: Review and Outlook." ARE Update 15(3): 5-8. University of California Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics.
https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1453327761/16878/