On Sept. 6, a New York State Wage Board, established under a 2019 law known as the “Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act,” will finalize its recommendation on one of the key provisions of that 3-year-old law — and its decision could forever impact New York agriculture as we have known it.
Specifically, the Farm Wage Board will recommend lowering the mandatory overtime pay threshold for farmworkers from the current 60 hours to 40 hours, a move strongly opposed by farmers and many legislators, including me.
In other words, the future of farming in New York states hangs in the balance thanks to a law enacted in 2019 that was pushed by then-Gov. Cuomo as a cornerstone of his so-called “progressive” remake of New York government.
Throughout the year prior to the enactment of the Act, I joined many opponents, including the New York Farm Bureau, to warn about its consequences. We feared that mandatory overtime pay and other provisions of the law, especially the creation of a three-member Wage Board granted the authority to unilaterally change the law’s provisions without legislative approval, could worsen the impact of farm labor costs on farm income at a time when the farm economy is already struggling.
It has been reported that farm labor costs in New York increased 40% over the past decade and that the 2019 measure could result in another crippling 44% increase in wage expenses. Total farm labor costs are at least 63% of net cash farm income in New York, compared to 36%...
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused US President Donald Trump of making “seven false claims in one hour,” while reiterating Tehran’s intention to close the Strait of Hormuz ...