Emotional and passionate testimony stretched into the night Tuesday during a legislative hearing on a proposal to require overtime pay for Oregon’s farmworkers.
Legislation put forward by two Democratic lawmakers would pay farmworkers time and a half after working 40 hours a week and would include tax credits for companies to help them adjust. Overtime pay would be phased in over five years, with the tax credits extending a year longer. Farmers who’ve been on their land for generations said House Bill 4002 would not be good for Oregon agriculture and could cause farms to fold, with large out-of-state companies swooping in to buy them.
Farmworkers speaking in Spanish who’ve worked in fields for decades said they toil long hours, sometimes in harsh weather, and deserve the same overtime guarantee that most other workers enjoy.
It’s a matter of justice, supporters said.
It’s a matter of economics, opponents insisted.
“Farmers and farmworkers have a lot at stake here,” said Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene, and a chief sponsor of the bill. “I hope we can come to a legislative solution but we’re in a difficult spot.”
Holvey is chair of the House Business and Labor Committee, which heard the testimony on Tuesday night. The public hearing started just after 5:30 p.m. and ended just after 9 p.m. Nearly 50 people spoke, including lawyers, union activists,...
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