Marquez Brothers International, a cheese facility, is about as anti-worker as they come. The company has a repeatedly harassed its employees for standing up for basic rights like safe working conditions and fair pay.

The situation at Marquez Brothers got so bad that last month Assemblymember Roger Hernández, chair of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, held an oversight hearing on the harassment of immigrant workers by unscrupulous employers like Marquez. Marquez responded to the scrutiny by doubling down on their anti-worker campaign. One of the Marquez Brothers workers who attended the hearing was fired earlier this week.

Yesterday, Hernández joined workers and representatives from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in Hanford to announce a formal investigation into the worker firing and the conduct by Marquez Brothers management.

Hernández:

It is inexcusable for any employer to mistreat their employees for participating in our Democratic system. While I support a stronger economy for California with more jobs and opportunities for our hardworking families we must remember that workers' rights must be protected.

Early this year, Assemblymember Hernández introduced AB 263, a bill that would provide worker protections against intimidation, retaliation, or any coercive action against employees by their employers like Marquez Brothers. AB 263 will be heard on April 23rd in the Assembly Judiciary Committee and on May 1st in the Assembly Labor Committee.

Hernández:

My bill aims to protect all those hard working individuals regardless of their legal status in this country against harmful abuses by employers. This is part of the reason why we need a strong comprehensive immigration reform to provide protections against these types of abuses.