One of the toughest conditions for any industry is uncertainty. Business leaders and employees struggle to plan when there are too many unknowns, or even a singular big unknown.
Such a big unknown is hanging over New York’s agricultural industry, and has been for a couple of years.
A 2020 state law created a farm wage board that was going to consider whether to recommend establishing a 40-hour work week for agricultural labor, triggering overtime rate pay for hours above that mark. Current law in New York puts the OT threshold at 60 hours per week.
After delaying a decision once before because of the economic turmoil in the early months of the COVID pandemic, the state wage board made its recommendation in January. It called for a gradual phase in toward the 40-hour work week, starting with a reduction to 56 hours in 2024 and ending at 40 hours by 2032.
Although the wage board finally made its recommendation, the final decision rests with the state Department of Labor commissioner, but the true decider will be the person the commissioner reports to: Gov. Kathy Hochul. That’s just how Albany works.
But a half year since that wage board recommendation, there’s been no word from the Hochul administration on what it will do.
Now this week, the governor announced the start of what was described a multi-month farm listening tour, but it is supposed to be focused on priorities for the next federal farm bill.
We sure hope this farm tour isn’t an indication that the governor plans...
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