The AgSafe Labor Relations Under AB2183 project is a four-faceted
program designed to increase knowledge and understanding of employee/labor
relations in California agriculture. The project targeted:
-Organic producers
-Specialty crop producers
-Traditional commercial producers
These producers are significantly labor reliant making them
exceptionally vulnerable under AB 2183. Every participant fell into at least one classification
listed above. While the project indirectly addressed legal risk, it focused on
many aspects of human risk:
The objectives of the curriculum were:
1. Brief overview of AB 2183 including penalties
2. Employee rights overview
3. Effective supervisor characteristics
4. Overview of unfair labor practices
5. Complaint process and complaint handling
6. Enforcing company policies and progressive discipline models
7. Provide practical examples for handling issues with employees in the workplace.
8. Provide information supervisors need to know to stay compliant.
9. Review resources
The were four facets of the project:
1.)Management / Grower Webinar in English
2.)Four In-person workshops on employee relations in Spanish
3.)Employee Relations Social Media ToolKit
4.)Spanish Radio PSAs on cooperation and communication
The project participation goal was 85 with 25
owners/mangers in the webinar and 60 supervisors/foreman in the workshops. AgSafe
exceeded its participation goal by 71 with 156 total participants. 124 in the
workshops and 32 webinar participants. The post workshop interviews and
feedback indicate that the workshop was helpful for participants to understand
the gamut of AB 2183 and took measures to mitigate their risk.