BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations
Richard Alarcon, Chair
Date of Hearing: June 23, 2004 2003-2004 Regular
Session
Consultant: Patrick W. Henning Fiscal:No
Urgency:No
Bill No: ACR 213
Author: Wiggins
Version: As Amended May 27, 2004
Subject: Filipino farm workers: recognition.
Purpose:
To recognize the contributions made by Filipino labor
leaders and farm workers to the farm worker movement over
the past 80 years.
Analysis:
Existing federal law , the National Labor Relations Act,
established in 1935, and later amended, granted the formal
right of workers to organize unions and bargain
collectively, but does not apply to farm workers.
Existing state law, the Agricultural Labor Relations Act of
1975 provides a comprehensive framework for farm workers to
organize and collectively bargain with agricultural
employers.
This Assembly Concurrent Resolution recognizes the
contributions made by Filipino labor leaders and farm
workers to the farm worker movement over the past 80 years.
It makes legislative findings, including the following:
1) Filipino farm workers have contributed invaluably to the
farm worker movement and to the creation and
accomplishments of the United Farm Workers of America
(UFW).
2) During the first 30 years of the twentieth century, over
100,000 men left the Philippines for the U.S. By 1930,
Filipino farm workers made up approximately 15% of
all California farm workers, nearly all asparagus farm
workers in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, and
approximately 80% of the Salinas Valley lettuce crop
workers.
3) In the 1930s and 1940s, Filipino laborers in California
began aggressively organizing various unions and
associations, and engaged in successful strikes throughout
the state.
4) Under the leadership of the Agricultural Workers
Organizing Committee, Filipino farm workers initiated a
five-year strike in the Delano grape fields on September 8,
1965, which would become the most important date in the
history of the farm worker movement. In 1966, the
Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, under the
leadership of Larry Dulay Itliong, and the National Farm
Workers Association, under the leadership of Cesar Chavez,
merged and formed the UFW Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO.
5) Filipino labor leaders have greatly contributed to the
historic formation of the UFW and the accomplishments of
the union such as the passage in California of the
Agricultural Labor Relations Act in 1975.
6) Filipino labor leaders have been overlooked but
nevertheless contributed invaluably and enormously to the
farm labor movement in California and the United States.
Comments:
1. According to the author's office , this resolution is
intended to provide much needed and deserved
recognition of the contributions made by Filipino farm
workers in the advancement of national and state farm
worker protection laws.
Over the last century, Filipino immigrants have
Hearing Date: June 23, 2004 ACR
213
Consultant: Patrick W. Henning
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Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations
contributed enormously to the national and state
economies by comprising a large portion of the
manufacturing, cannery and farm worker labor force.
For instance, despite the passage of the U.S.
Immigration Act of 1924 that barred Asian immigration,
thousands of Filipinos were aggressively recruited in
the Philippines by employers to work in canneries and
agricultural fields because, as U.S. nationals, the
Filipinos were exempt from the provisions of the Act.
Filipino workers also played a critical role in the
establishment of some of the first labor organizations
formed to improve the working conditions for cannery
employees and farm workers in California. Beginning in
the 1930s, Filipinos
organized the Filipino Labor Association of Stockton,
the Filipino United Economic Endeavor, the Filipino
Labor Union, the Agricultural Workers League, the
Filipino Agricultural Laborers Association, and the
Federated Agricultural Laborers Association to improve
the working conditions for farm and cannery workers of
all nationalities.
Finally, the author indicates that Filipino farm
workers led the initial strike in the grape fields of
Delano on September 8, 1965, which led to the famous
strike in the grape fields in Delano and surrounding
areas and provided the impetus for the
formation of the UFW Organizing Committee
AFL-CIO.
The author concludes that through the years the
important role of Filipino men and
women in the farm worker movement in California
has been unintentionally
forgotten. This resolution seeks to inform and
educate the public about the role of
Filipino farm workers by recognizing the
important role of such individuals in the
advancement of farm worker protection laws and
Hearing Date: June 23, 2004 ACR
213
Consultant: Patrick W. Henning
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Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations
the other positive contributions
these workers have made to the California.
2. Legislative History : This measure passed the
Assembly Labor and Employment
Committee by a 8 to 0 vote. It was later adopted
by the Assembly.
Support:
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
Opposition:
None registered as of June 20, 2004.
* * *
Hearing Date: June 23, 2004 ACR
213
Consultant: Patrick W. Henning
Page 4
Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations