Farm Laborers Wage Hearing to take place January 4

The New York State Department of Labor announced that a virtual hearing to discuss the overtime threshold for farm workers will take place on Tuesday, January 4, at 3:30 p.m.

The main topic of discussion will be whether the required hours of overtime for farm workers should be lowered from 60 to 40.

Members of the Farm Laborers Wage Board which include New York State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher, and former president of the New York State AFL-CIO Denis Hughes, will be present at the meeting.

The hearing will take testimony from the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Farmers have argued against lowering the overtime hour requirement, saying it cuts into their thin profit margins in an industry which is highly dependent on weather conditions.

Others, such as the NYCLU, have argued it is a civil rights issue and farm workers should have the same overtime threshold as other industries.

There will be additional public hearings on Tuesday, January 18 at 5 p.m., and Thursday, January 20 at 5 p.m.

Go to dol.ny.gov/farm-laborers-wage-board-hearings to register and join the meetings.