Labor

More info needed to protect workers from pesticide exposure, GAO says

Farmworkers exposed to agricultural pesticides need additional information on how to protect themselves, according to the Government Accountability Office. According to a news release, since 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had a Worker... more »

Ag labor, wildfire research included in prestigious grant program

Two new projects designed and led by University of California Merced researchers will address challenges facing many Californians – wildfire recovery and agricultural labor – but will also have global reach. Both are funded through... more »

Final rule set to modernize Department of Labor’s H-2A regulations

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Jan. 15 a final rule that modernizes the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Labor Certification Program. According to a news release, the Department’s Employment and Training Administration, and Wage and Hour... more »

COVID-19 emergency rules spur response from Washington ag groups

As farmers across Washington state prepare for the first wave of nearly 15,000 guest workers to arrive in the first quarter of 2021, leading agricultural groups are appealing recently renewed state COVID-19 emergency rules to... more »

New COVID-19 travel rules could hurt Canada’s greenhouse industry

New COVID-19 testing requirements for travelers entering Canada could hinder more than would-be pandemic tourists. They could also leave tomato, pepper, and other greenhouse vegetable farmers in British Columbia scrambling for workers. According to YahooNews,... more »

USDA urged to allocate specific funding to protect essential ag workers

Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley), Jim Costa (CA-16), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), and Fred Upton (MI-06) led 70 colleagues in a bipartisan letter sent Jan. 11 to the USDA urging... more »

Employers are no longer obligated to provide FFRCA leave

After much heated negotiation in passing Stimulus 2.0, Congress reached a compromise on employee COVID-19 leave, allowing the leave requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to expire on Dec.31, 2020, but continuing tax... more »

Training program for workers new to the agricultural sector set in Ontario

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has launched an online training program for workers new to the agricultural sector. The program was created by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) in partnership with the University of Guelph... more »