A draft budget trailer bill in California could allow farm operators to use autonomous equipment alongside workers, prompting union alarms over job displacement and safety. The proposed legislation aims to modernize agriculture but includes provisions for worker retraining and safety guidelines.
The proposed legislation could significantly alter labor dynamics in California's agricultural sector, potentially leading to job displacement for farmworkers while aiming to modernize industry practices through automation.
A draft California budget trailer bill, obtained by POLITICO, proposes to authorize farm operators to use autonomous equipment in the same fields as human workers. This potential legislative move has raised alarms among unions concerned about job displacement and safety. Currently, autonomous machinery can operate in fields, but workers cannot be present unless special permission is granted by the state's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA).
The draft legislation includes provisions for safety guidelines and outlines how displaced workers should be treated, with a source supporting the initiative arguing it is a crucial step for modernizing California's agriculture. This source also emphasized that the bill would incorporate safeguards for workers and opportunities for retraining.
The proposed language is intended as an interim measure, set to expire once Cal/OSHA establishes its own comprehensive safety regulations for the coexistence of workers and automated machinery. The California Farm Bureau has publicly stated its support for a legislative solution that would replace the current case-by-case approval process with clear statewide requirements for the safe use of autonomous agricultural equipment.
According to the draft, companies would be required to notify affected workers and unions about the deployment of autonomous equipment and make reasonable efforts to retrain or reassign workers before resorting to layoffs. Offices for lawmakers Rivas and Limón declined to comment on the developing legislation.