Farmers alarmed as NY looks at expanded OT for their workers
ABC News
New York state is now looking at lowering the farm worker overtime threshold from 60 hours a week
SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. -- The thousands of people paid to plant corn, pick apples and milk cows in New York often work long days, six days a week — and earn overtime only after 60 hours of labor.
The state is now looking at lowering that overtime threshold. New York could possibly join California and Washington state in phasing in a 40-hour overtime rule for farm hands, a threshold common in other industries.
“We need a better quality of life,” said veteran dairy worker Lazaro Alvarez. He is among those who say the change is long overdue for an estimated 55,000 agricultural workers in New York, many from Mexico, Guatemala and other countries outside the United States.
But the prospect is alarming farmers. They warn the extra costs would wipe out marginal farms, hobble others and actually reduce workers' earnings if farmers cap hours to manage expenses.
