One of the biggest issues for this session is a hot button for Jefferson County
The farmworker overtime bill may be the issue that stops action for the Oregon Legislature this session. "If we can protect the livelihood of employees and farms then it is worth using tools like a denial of quorum," said Representative Vikki Breeze-Iverson (R-Prineville) who now serves as house minority leader.
"I definitely think it's worth walking out on," says Jefferson County farmer Gary Harris. "Urban people don't understand what we do out here."
Laws in California and Washington already require overtime pay for farmworkers who exceed 40 hours a week. Some Oregon legislators want the same law for this state. That troubles Jefferson County farmer Phil Fine. "If I had to pay overtime, I'd be paying $26 to $27 an hour for farm work and the margins just aren't there," said Fine. "Nobody's making money right now." On the other side of the issue, the bill gives Moises Hernandez hope. He advocates for farmworkers.
"They're on hourly wages. If they're required to work overtime, they should be paid overtime," said Hernandez. "If they're paid by the piece, they shouldn't be paid overtime. Then it's up to the worker to work harder or longer." The 1938 Federal Labor Standards Act set the standard for overtime pay for wage earners who work more than 40 hours a week. That law exempted farmworkers, Hernandez says, because of racist reasons.
"They were excluding farm labor at that point because African...
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