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Panel to Consider Farm Workers Fair Labor Practices Act

wamc.org

Labor practices in New York’s agricultural industry are the center of a conversation considered in Rochester Monday night.

At issue—a proposed Farm Workers Fair Labor Practices Act—that labor advocates want to see representatives in Albany adopt.

The proposed law would allow certain benefits that farm workers do not currently have—such as collective bargaining and overtime pay.

Dean Norton, New York Farm Bureau President, reports the law would raise the cost of business for farmers and, in turn, raise the cost of food. Furthermore, Norton says farm laborers have other benefits.

"That could be housing, transportation, and a lot of times just general substances like food or other things provided," said Norton.

Lewis Papenfuse, Executive Director at the Worker Justice Center of New York, sees these benefits more for the employer’s convenience.

"They may use that as a benefit to the employer to have the workers housed there, but it's definitely offset by the wages that they earn," said Papenfuse.

Agriculture production represents more than 5 billion dollars to the state’s economy.

Asbury First United Methodist Church will host the panel discussion Monday night beginning at 7.