Make Farm Law Conform

The Times misrepresented the position of California growers on the issue of funding for the Agricultural Labor Relations Act (“UFW, Growers Reverse Tactics on ALRB,” April 30).

Contrary to what was reported in the Labor column by Harry Bernstein, California growers support funding of the state farm labor law only if it conforms to the national labor law.

Directors of the Western Growers Assn., who are growers, voted to support funding for the ALRB only if it conforms to the National Labor Relations Act.

WGA repeatedly has sponsored state legislation to conform or amend the law. Earlier this year, three bills were killed by the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, a committee heavily influenced by labor interests.

Additionally, for the record, WGA is in favor of workers having the right to organize themselves into a union by secret-ballot election. Panicked by declining membership caused by the union’s inability to win an election and by the increased number of decertification elections, the United Farm Workers union has resorted to secondary boycotts instead of standing behind the results of fair, secret-ballot elections.

There is one point on which I do agree with The Times: The union’s tactics are mercurial and enigmatic (in other words, their tactics shift like sand in the wind).

And there is one bit of advice I offer: The next time The Times starts attributing opinions to the state’s growers, try asking them.

DARYL ARNOLD

President, Western Growers Assn.