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Agriculture groups ask court to put farmworkers' ability to organize on hold

Dec 31, 2019 12:30 pm
Dan M. Clark is reporting for the New York Law Journal two farming trade groups have taken legal action in federal court to put on hold the ability of New York farmworkers to organize. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York December 30, and it requests a new state law, set to take effect January 1, be put on hold. The Northeast Dairy Producers Association and the New York State Vegetable Growers Association argue the measure conflicts with federal law and is unclear about who has the right to organize. John Dickinson, a dairy farmer from Washington County who represents the dairy producers, said they are planning to comply with the law, but need to delay the effective date until they know more, saying the lack of clarity is causing the dairy community unnecessary stress. The lawsuit asserts that the new law’s definition of a farm laborer could be interpreted to include supervisors, farm owners, and family members of farm owners, make them eligible to engage in collective bargaining, thus creating "an unworkable Catch 22." In addition to providing farmworkers with the option to organize, the new law requires they be paid overtime when they work more than 60 hours a week, and guarantees one day of rest each week. The law also gives farmworkers access to workers’ compensation and unemployment benefits. Read the full story at law [dot] com.
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