Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of a bill to give farmworkers minimum wage elicited different reactions from two of Maine’s agricultural powerhouses.
Mills vetoed An Act to Make Agricultural Workers and Other Related Workers Employees Under the Wage and Hour Laws on Wednesday. The legislation would have mandated that farmworkers receive the state’s annually indexed minimum wage of $13.80 an hour.
The Maine Potato Board applauded the decision because the group said the bill, which had seen several changes including the removal of an overtime pay stipulation, left too many questions unanswered. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association blasted Mills, saying farmworkers, who now receive the lower federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, should be paid the same as other laborers.
The problem is that agricultural crops don’t conform to regular work hours. Adverse weather can halt planting or harvesting, and workers often put in long hours when conditions allow. The bill would have capped the overtime hours they can work, rendering farmers unable to complete a season’s work. Since potatoes are the state’s No. 1 crop, bringing in $258 million last year, the results could harm growers, a potato industry expert said.
“The language is not clear. It works well for industries that have a 9-to-5 schedule year-round, but agriculture doesn’t work that 9-to-5 schedule,” said Jeannie Tapley, Maine Potato Board assistant executive director.
The potato board does not oppose providing fair...
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