SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have made it easier for farm workers to organize.
The bill would have allowed the United Farm Workers Union to bargain for employees simply by collecting signatures from a majority of workers on cards saying they wanted representation, without the need to hold an election,
Gov. Arnold Schwarznegger vetoed similar proposals four times, but supporters of the card-check bill had hoped Brown would approve it.
In vetoing the bill, Brown said, "I am not yet convinced the far-reaching provisions of this bill ... are justified."
Union leaders have said the secret ballot system leads to intimidation from growers, while growers have said a petition system would make it easier for union organizers to bully workers into joining.
