Sac Bee finally discovers Gerawan-UFW story

Since June, Katy Grimes has been covering the struggle between Gerawan Farms and its workers against the United Farm Workers union and Sacramento politicians.

Almost two months ago, she profiled Silvia Lopez, the farm worker who was fighting UFW representation being force on Gerawan’s workers without their consent. Grimes spent half a day with Lopez and the workers when they protested at the ALRB offices and at the Capitol. “I never once saw another reporter or media person,” Grimes said.

At first, the Brown administration and the California Agricultural Relations Board resisted the workers’ pleas to allow a vote, as required by the 1975 Agricultural Labor Relations Act, as Grimes reported in another article.

The articles gained widespread readership in Sacramento and among the state’s farming community. The outcry led to the ALRB granting a vote for the Gerawan workers, as Grimes then reported on Nov. 3.

These stories were scoops, not reported elsewhere.

Finally, the Sacramento Bee is covering the controversy, quoting Lopez (pictured above).

Better late than never, I guess. But it would have been nice if they had given Grimes credit for breaking the story and keeping it alive.