Starting in 2019, the new law would gradually expand overtime pay for California’s estimated 825,000 farm workers.
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California would become the first US state to require farmers to pay overtime to field workers and fruit pickers under a bill approved by the legislature on Monday and sent to Democratic Governor Jerry Brown for his approval.
Farm owner Bruce Fry said agricultural work is unlike other lines of employment, especially during harvest season when workers need to work long hours.
Opponents, including agricultural industry representatives, said supporters of the bill fundamentally misunderstand how farm labor works.
“The fruit doesn’t stop ripening because it’s five o’clock”, Cecil said. “But consider that California is one of only 5 states that even pays overtime, and none of them pay it after only 10 hours”.
“I wonder how many of my colleagues in the Assembly have taken the time to meet these artisans where they work?” “The whole world eats the food provided by California farmworkers, yet we don’t guarantee fair overtime pay for the backbreaking manual labor they put in to keep us fed”, Gonzalez said in a statement.
The bill has been sent to Governor Brown’s desk.
Leaders of the Salinas Valley agriculture industry responded firmly Tuesday in opposition to a state bill that rewrites the overtime pay policy for farmworkers in California.
Those opposed to the bill argued that the seasonal nature of farm work makes it hard to apply to standard overtime regulations and that the added costs could result in lost jobs, wages, and higher food costs.
Assembly members Kristin Olsen (R-Riverbank) and Adam Gray (D-Merced) both voted against the bill. Assemblymember Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond, said it was about giving farmworkers “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work”.
Across the country, agricultural workers are required to be paid the minimum wage, but there is no upper limit on how long they work.
Flipping the proponents’ argument, critics said the well-intentioned measure would hurt laborers by leading to cuts in their hours and economic hardship for the farms that employ them.
“Sometimes, with good intentions, the state Legislature passes a bill that looks good on the surface, but when enacted, ends up having very negative impact”, said Stemler.
Western Growers Chief Executive Officer Tom Nassif: “We are extremely disappointed in the decision of the California State Assembly to pass AB 1066 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez”. The UFW also joined lawmakers who launched a 24-hour hunger strike to support the bill.
Scott implored Gov. Jerry Brown to veto the bill.
The strike fizzled with no legislative accomplishments under former Republican Gov. Ronald Reagan.
“They represent somewhere between 4,000 and 7,000 farm workers when we have over 600,000 farm workers in our state”, said Olsen.
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The Associated Press contributed to this article.
