Fresno - Assemblyman Jim Patterson of California's 23rd District will join hundreds of farm workers at an election night vigil protesting their disenfranchisement at the hands of state labor authorities.

The workers, from Fresno-based Gerawan Farming, voted to decertify the United Farm Workers (UFW) last November, but the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) has locked up the ballots and is refusing to count them.

“Today the votes of millions of Californians will be counted and their voices will be heard," Patterson told the Center for Worker Freedom on Election Day, continuing:

“Unfortunately, the ballots of hundreds of Central Valley farm workers will remain under lock and key – held hostage by the ALRB, for fear that tight grip of the UFW on farmworkers in our state has come to an end.

“The votes cast by these hardworking men and women must be counted. Anyone who doesn’t see that this is the civil rights battle of our time is in for a rude awakening when farm workers across the nation begin to rise up and tell the unions ‘thanks, but no thanks – my paycheck is mine.'”

So on Tuesday November 4, Patterson will join Gerawan workers, their families and supporters at a silent candlelight vigil across the street from an elections office at 2221 Kern Street in Fresno, CA from 8:00 pm-9:30 pm.  

The silence will represent their voices being stolen by the ALRB; the candles will represent their hope for freedom from the UFW. 

The Center for Worker Freedom (CWF) is helping to coordinate the vigil. CWF is a special project of Americans for Tax Reform.

Who:  Hundreds of Gerawan workers and their supporters, including Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R) of California's 23rd District

What:  Silent candlelight vigil to protest votes being suppressed by the ALRB

Where:  Across the street from the Fresno County Elections Office, 2221 Kern Street, Fresno, CA 93721

When:  Tuesday, November 4, 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

Why:  Because in a democracy every vote deserves to be counted, and every voice deserves to be heard

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Contact:

John Kartch

202-785-0266

jkartch@atr.org