President Biden put Gov. Gavin Newsom between a rock and hard place over the effort in California to unionize farmworkers and the progressive Democrat is reportedly “seething” about it, according to Politico.
Just before Labor Day, Biden publicly signaled what he thought the governor should do.
"Farmworkers worked tirelessly and at great personal risk to keep food on America’s tables during the pandemic," Biden said. "In the state with the largest population of farmworkers, the least we owe them is an easier path to make a free and fair choice to organize a union. I am grateful to California’s elected officials and union leaders for leading the way."
In addition to the president, the bill has the backing of other high-profile Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as labor groups. The legislation is opposed, however, by the California Chamber of Commerce and grower associations, who argue the measure is nothing more than an attempt by United Farm Workers to boost its membership numbers.
“It essentially amounts to a forced union submission, because even the mail-in voting provision allows the labor organization representative to fill out the ballot,” said Matthew Allen, vice president of state government affairs for Western Growers, according to Politico. “It’s really quite simple what the bill is doing. It’s eliminating a farmworker’s right to the secret-ballot election.”
Newsom, whose presidential aspirations have been obvious, has been waffling over what to do.
The governor’s office said last month he is opposed to the measure in its current form, with a spokesperson saying he “cannot support an untested mail-in election process that lacks critical provisions to protect the integrity of the election and is predicated on an assumption that government cannot effectively enforce laws."
With the bill sitting on his desk, Newsom has until Sept. 30 to make a decision.