A special Retirement Celebration was held yesterday to honor Dr. Sandra Witte, Dean emerita of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (JCAST) at Fresno State. University President Joseph Castro spoke of Dr. Witte’s accomplishments at the University and her contributions to JCAST. Assemblyman Jim Patterson issued a proclamation from the valley delegation recognizing Dr. Witte for her contributions to Fresno State and Valley Agriculture. The Association’s President/CEO Roger A. Isom thanked Dr. Witte for her service to the University and for reaching out to Valley Agriculture. Isom highlighted the $1 million nut processing line being installed at Fresno State, the new tree nut processing course at Fresno State, and the ongoing groundbreaking cotton research at Fresno State as signs that Dr. Witte’s goals to improve the University’s agriculture department and its relationship with Valley agriculture are well on their way to being realized. The Association would like to thank and recognize Dr. Witte for her efforts and for making JCAST at Fresno State the destination for students of agriculture in this valley and beyond!
NEWS & ISSUES
Pink Bollworm Program – Silverleaf Whitefly Report 8/26/19-9/6/19
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Pink Bollworm Program has released its report for monitoring Silverleaf Whitefly. The program monitored for whitefly and other cotton pests from August 26, 2019 to September 6, 2019. For the full report, please follow the button link below:
WAPA | CCGGA SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION TRAINING WEBINARS
California law requires employers with 5 or more employees to provide not only two hours of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to supervisors, but also a 1-hour training to all nonsupervisory employees. This training must be completed by January 1, 2020.
The Western Agricultural Processors Association and California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, in partnership with AgSafe, are providing Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Webinars.
Employers must provide training to temporary and seasonal employees, as well as any employee who is hired to work for less than six months. The training must occur within 30 calendar days after the hire date or within 100 hours worked, whichever comes first.
1 – HOUR SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION NON-SUPERVISORY TRAINING
Cost: Each registered participant will be issued an electronic certificate of
completion.
$25 per attendee | WAPA and CCGGA Members
$20 per attendee if registering 5 or more | WAPA and CCGGA Members
SPANISH CLASSES
September 6, 2019 | 6:00am – 7:00am
September 17, 2019 | 6:00pm – 7:00pm
September 20, 2019 | 6:00am – 7:00am
October 18, 2109 | 9:00am – 10:00am
ENGLISH CLASSES
September 20, 2019 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm
October 18, 2019 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm
2 – HOUR SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION SUPERVISOR TRAINING
Cost: Each registered participant will be issued an electronic certificate of
completion.
$50 per attendee | WAPA and CCGGA Members
SPANISH CLASSES
September 9, 2019 | 8:00am – 10:00am
September 13, 2019 | 8:00am – 10:00am
September 23, 2019 | 8:00am – 10:00am
ENGLISH CLASS
September 13, 2019 | 12:00pm – 2:00pm
To register for Webinars, please visit: http://www.agsafe.org/wapa-ccgga-sexual-harassment-prevention-training-2/
Pink Bollworm Program – Silverleaf Whitefly Report 8/12/19-8/23/19
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Pink Bollworm Program has released its report for monitoring Silverleaf Whitefly. The program monitored for whitefly and other cotton pests from August 12, 2019 to August 23, 2019. For the full report, please follow the button link below:
Deadline to Train on Sexual Harassment Pushed
Below is information regarding the deadline to train on sexual harassment courtesy of The Saqui Law Group, a division of Dowling Aaron Incorporated.
Written by Adrian Hoppes
Last year, the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1343 cascaded the requirement for sexual harassment training to all California employers with 5 or more employees. Prior to SB 1343, sexual harassment training was only required for California employers with 50 or more employees, and limited to supervisory personnel, requiring two hours of sexual harassment training within six months of hire, then every two years thereafter.
SB 1343 required all California employer with 5 or more employees, including temporary or seasonal employees, to provide at least 2 hours of sexual harassment training to all supervisory employees and at least one hour of sexual harassment training to all nonsupervisory employees by January 1, 2020. SB 1343 included no grace period for employers who completed the training in 2018, as required, and there was little direction from the Department of Fair Employment and Housing on how an employer could meet this commitment since the Department was allowing themselves most of 2019 to develop a training plan to roll out to employers.
Governor Newsom listened to the cries for help from employers and signed SB 778 which went into effect immediately on August 30th. The new legislation pushes back the deadline for training nonsupervisory employees until January 1, 2021. In addition, SB 778 clarified that any supervisory employee who received training in 2018 or 2019 as required under the prior law, could remain compliant if supervisors continue with the training biannually.
COUNSEL TO MANAGEMENT:
Although a win for employers, SB 778 only provides a reprieve of time for employers. The requirement to train all employees is still in effect and employers should not sit on their laurels for the next year. The law provides specific details regarding requirements of content, duration, frequency, training methods and trainer qualifications. If you have any questions about moving forward to ensure your company is compliant with SB 1343, contact the experts at the Saqui Law Group, a division of Dowling Aaron Incorporated.
SJV of management impacts on soil health and GHG emissions
WAPA | CCGGA SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION TRAINING WEBINARS
California law requires employers with 5 or more employees to provide not only two hours of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to supervisors, but also a 1-hour training to all nonsupervisory employees. This training must be completed by January 1, 2020.
The Western Agricultural Processors Association and California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association, in partnership with AgSafe, are providing Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Webinars.
Employers must provide training to temporary and seasonal employees, as well as any employee who is hired to work for less than six months. The training must occur within 30 calendar days after the hire date or within 100 hours worked, whichever comes first.
1 – HOUR SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION NON-SUPERVISORY TRAINING
Cost: Each registered participant will be issued an electronic certificate of
completion.
$25 per attendee | WAPA and CCGGA Members
$20 per attendee if registering 5 or more | WAPA and CCGGA Members
SPANISH CLASSES
September 6, 2019 | 6:00am – 7:00am
September 17, 2019 | 6:00pm – 7:00pm
September 20, 2019 | 6:00am – 7:00am
October 18, 2109 | 9:00am – 10:00am
ENGLISH CLASSES
September 20, 2019 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm
October 18, 2019 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm
2 – HOUR SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION SUPERVISOR TRAINING
Cost: Each registered participant will be issued an electronic certificate of
completion.
$50 per attendee | WAPA and CCGGA Members
SPANISH CLASSES
September 9, 2019 | 8:00am – 10:00am
September 13, 2019 | 8:00am – 10:00am
September 23, 2019 | 8:00am – 10:00am
ENGLISH CLASS
September 13, 2019 | 12:00pm – 2:00pm
To register for Webinars, please visit: http://www.agsafe.org/wapa-ccgga-sexual-harassment-prevention-training-2/
Pink Bollworm Program – Silverleaf Whitefly Report 7/29/19-8/9/19
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Pink Bollworm Program has released its report for monitoring Silverleaf Whitefly. The program monitored for whitefly and other cotton pests from July 29, 2019 to August 9, 2019. For the full report, please follow the button link below:
Final Mapped California Cotton Acreage
The Pink Bollworm Program under the California Department of Food and Agriculture has released their final mapped numbers for 2019, including the Pima and Upland acreage splits. Final acreage numbers for California put Pima at 203,235 acres and Upland at 56,122 acres for a total of 259,357 acres statewide. This represents a 3% decrease in Pima acreage and a 17% increase in upland acreage as compared to 2018. This represents a 0.5% increase in overall cotton acreage for 2019.
New CalOSHA Chief Announced
After several months, Governor Gavin Newsom has finally named a new Cal/OSHA Chief in Douglas Parker. Parker, has been the executive director of the Oakland worker advocacy group Worksafe since 2016. He is an attorney and has a long resume in occupational safety and health. He is a former assistant to the late Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone, then worked in press operations for the Democratic National Committee before and during the Clinton administration. He was a staff attorney for the United Mine Workers of America in the late 1990s, and during most of the 2000s was a partner at the Mooney, Green, Baker & Saindon law firm. He was formerly a senior policy advisor and special assistant at the Mine Safety and Health Administration and served as assistant secretary of labor for MSHA from 2014 to 2015. He replaces Juliann Sum, who retired earlier this year.