<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Sacramento, CA</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Eric Anderson<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">4.15.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/western_growers_immigration_reform_april_2013_BODY_nassif.jpg" alt="images 041513" />Western Growers has expressed support for the agreement on immigration reform reached by the Agricultural Workforce Coalition (AWC), an organization of which WG is a member, the United Farm Workers (UFW) and Senators engaged in the process. WG President and CEO, Tom Nassif, said that the framework and objectives of the agreement represent a major step in ensuring the accessibility of a legal agricultural workforce.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Nassif, who was in direct negotiations with the UFW over the weekend and through Friday said, “The agreement the Ag Workforce Coalition was able negotiate with the UFW is a crucial step in solving our immigration crisis and securing a stable and legal workforce in the years to come. Over the past year the agriculture community was able to come together in a historically broad coalition. The force of agricultural producers and worker representatives coming together on a framework will play a significant role in achieving immigration reform this year.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/western_growers_immigration_reform_april_2013_BODY.jpg" alt="images 041513" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Nassif thanked the Senators involved in this effort. “For years, Senator Feinstein has been tireless in her work to achieve solutions for the immigration crisis facing agriculture,” Nassif said. “We commend her for that commitment to our industry. Senator Rubio joined the effort to find a solution last year and has been an integral part in achieving a compromise that both meets needs of agriculture producers and will garner support of Republicans in Congress. Additionally, the more recent participation by Senators Hatch and Bennet has been integral in achieving (the) agreement.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.wga.com/" target="_new">Western Growers </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
