Originally, Steinberg and the United Farm Workers Union wanted a measure known as "card check," under which farm workers could organize by signing a petition instead of using the current secret ballot system. But the governor agreed with the California Farm Bureau Federation, which said "card check" overreached - so he vetoed it. Brown then negotiated the new law, which Farm Bureau President Paul Wenger calls "about as good as we could've asked for."
Wenger: "He wants to make sure that employees have a fair ability to either vote for union representation if they want it - or to not have union representation if they don't want it. So I think he's trying to walk that fine line."
Under the new law, state regulators can automatically certify a union election by farm workers if they determine that "employer misconduct" led to an unfair secret ballot result.
