Central Coast farmworker advocates, agriculture coalition respond to SCOTUS California labor case

CENTRAL COAST Calif. – Central Coast farmworker advocates and an agriculture coalition respond to Supreme Court's decision on objecting to a long-time California law. Based on this decision, unions are not allowed to access to farm properties and order to organize workers.

The Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business Executive Director Andy Caldwell said he agrees with the decision.

"A person that is in business and a person who works in the business is there to work." said Caldwell. "The unionized activity can go on outside of the workplace fairly easily."

CAUSE Policy and Communications Director Lucas Zucker disagrees.

"I think the bottom line here is that there is already a huge imbalance in power between growers and farmworkers," said Zucker. "This court ruling really deepens that imbalance of power."

The rule mandates that agricultural employers allow union organizers onto their property for up to three hours per day, 120 days per year. It was adopted back in 1975.

By a 6-3 vote, the syllabus said the regulation restrains "the growers’ use of their own property."

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