Labor
BREAKING: US District Court rules against farmers in wage lawsuit
Monday evening, March 18, U. S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly issued a memorandum of opinion in a case brought by the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) against the U. S. Department of Labor.... more »
Farm bill to cost NY farms $3M more in labor, study finds
New York Farm Bureau highlighted a new report March 5 that detailed the extreme costs facing the state’s family farms should the farmworker labor bill (S. 2837/A. 2750) pass this legislative session. Farm Credit East,... more »
Ag labor issues focus of VGN’s free online webinar
The ability for specialty crop operations to secure a stable and reliable workforce to plant, harvest, pack and ship their products has been curtailed for a number of years. As the industry adjusts to global... more »
Joint employer liability theory for ag employers expanded
A federal appeals court has made a sweeping change for agricultural employers that will make it easier for workers to bring discrimination claims against them under a joint employment theory. In last week’s EEOC v. Global... more »
California ag overtime guidelines released by commissioner
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office has posted guidance for agricultural employers and workers on an overtime pay schedule that went into effect Jan. 1. The law’s overtime pay requirements will be phased in according to... more »
New bid for ag labor solution receives support
Three Democratic lawmakers from California have presented new immigration legislation that would create an opportunity for undocumented agricultural workers to apply for legal status. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Congressman Jimmy Panetta, and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren introduced... more »
Congressional group proposes citizenship path for workers
On Jan. 17, U.S. Congressman Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, introduced legislation to shield farmworkers from deportation and put them on a path toward earned legal status... more »
H-2A issues discussed at Farm Bureau event
U.S. farmers and ranchers discussed the current state of regulations governing the farm labor market and efforts to navigate it, at a workshop during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 100th Annual Convention. The H-2A... more »