NGA Labor Report - August 2002

Congress has begun its August recess without anything being done on the H2A and Adjustment of Status revisions we have been trying so hard to achieve. Anything is possible, but it appears that nothing may be accomplished this year. We will continue to look for opportunities after the recess or in a lame duck session after the elections, if there is one.

In California, the Legislature has passed the Bill that would allow an arbitrator to mediate and spell out the provisions of a contract if labor talks bog down after an election has been won by a union in an agricultural election. This bill is a disaster for agricultural employers and hopefully will not be signed by the Governor. This bill, a major victory for the union, will not provide any incentive for the union to compromise with the employer if they think they can do better with an arbitrator. No other unions have this advantage in collective bargaining negotiations. We are currently waiting to see how the Governor responds to the bill.