Archbishop to speak at labor conference

By DAN WHEAT

Capital Press

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Catholic Archbishop Joseph Tyson, of the Yakima Diocese, will present the moral and scriptural imperative of immigration reform at the Washington Farm Labor Association's annual labor conference.

The conference is 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Yakima Convention Center. Tyson is the lunch keynote speaker.

William Tamayo, Northern California and Pacific Northwest regional attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, is the morning keynote speaker, addressing sexual harassment in the workplace with a focus on seasonal employers.

A dozen hour-long workshops will be given by regulators, attorneys, accountants and other leading voices in labor and employment matters.

The labor association's annual workforce summit will be held the prior day, Feb. 20, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., at the Yakima Holiday Inn Convention Center.

Speakers include national experts in agricultural management logistics and immigration reform. New products and services for H-2A employers to guarantee compliance for employers and workers will be discussed. State and federal government regulators will discuss H-2A program compliance.

A speaker's reception for association members attending either the labor conference or workforce summit will be held at 5 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Holiday Inn.