Farmworkers begin march to pressure Newsom to sign bill making it easier for them to organize

Members of the United Farm Workers started a 24-day trek on Aug. 3 to Sacramento to pressure Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign legislation that would make it easier for farmworkers to unionize.

The march began at the union’s Forty Acres complex in Delano, where the labor group first started 60 years ago. It will end at the state Capitol complex on Aug. 26, California Farmworker Day.

The legislation, AB 2183 sponsored by Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay), would allow farmworkers to mail or drop off a ballot card in a union certification election. They currently have to vote in-person at a physical location.

The measure passed the Assembly on May 25 with all local lawmakers voting for the measure. The legislation is now in the state Senate as lawmakers must wrap up their work on bills by the end of the month.

Newsom vetoed similar legislation last year.

Local farmworkers meet with state Ag Secretary Ross

Fifteen vineyard employees who have graduated from a local leadership academy recently met with California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross.

The workers were part of the Richard and Saralee Kunde Leadership Academy, which began classes in February for them to gain skills to advance in their workplace. It wrapped up in June.

The coursework included topics such as financial literacy and conflict resolution. The academy is sponsored by the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation.

“A common thread was how important it is to be treated with respect by their employers. They all have more than 10 years working in the vineyards of Sonoma County, many of them with the same employer,” Ross wrote in a blog post after the visit. “A number of them started in harvesting and progressed to more responsibility with specialties like irrigation and operating tractors, and some are now supervisors.”

For field supervisor Jose Cervantes, now in his 27th year with Cornerstone Certified Vineyard, the leadership academy was an eye-opener. He is eager to recommend this program to others.

“I learned so much from teachers as well as fellow classmates as they talked about their experiences and points of view. I was glad that the program covered many subjects. I wish we could have more classes about technical areas, such as managing soils and rootstock, led by UC Davis Ag experts,” Cervantes said.

He said acquiring higher education is a part of the Latino culture. “Two of my four children are attending SSU and another is finishing high school.”

Weis to lead Napa-based vineyard management company

Russell Weis has been appointed as the new president and chief operating officer for Napa-based Walsh Vineyard Management Inc.

“Russ brings extensive client experience and a wealth of knowledge of luxury wine and grape farming in diverse American Viticultural Areas. He knows the needs of our winery clients firsthand. We are excited to have his skills, experience and unique perspective added to our team in addition to adding another level of value for our customers,” said owner Tim Rogers.

Weis was most recently president of Silverado Vineyards in Napa for 18 years, which was recently bough by Foley Family Wines. Prior to joining Silverado, Weis was the owner of Melis Cellars in the Priorat region of Spain and was the senior vice president of international business development at Robert Mondavi Winery.

The North Bay Business Journal contributed to this article. Submit items to bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com.