Rewriting Seasonal Worker Housing Standards

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

New standards proposed by the Washington State Department of Health for seasonal farm worker housing is drawing criticism from ag groups and producers alike. WAFLA Director Dan Fazio explains that the proposed changes, which in several ways exceed federal standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, would add additional costs to growers who have already spent $10,000 to $30,000 per bed to satisfy federal rules and qualify to hire foreign workers on H-2A visas.

FAZIO: Which makes very little sense to us here at WAFLA considering there’s a shortage of worker housing. If there’s a shortage of worker housing and it’s too expensive shouldn’t the government be considering regulations that would reduce costs for farmers to provide free housing for workers?

The state Senate recently held a two hour work session regarding the proposed new standards.

FAZIO: The Senate has been really great; they’ve been asking tough questions to the Department of Health, essentially forcing them to put these new regulations on hold. But our hats really went off to farmers, specifically McDougall & Sons, Gebbers Farms and Sakuma Brothers Farms who sent representatives to eloquently explain that Washington State needs to grandfather in any changes to these regulations, and that there’s absolutely no need to go any further than the federal regulations for temporary housing.

Lobbyists for the Washington Farm Bureau and the Washington State Tree Fruit Association have also been very active behind the scenes on this regulation.

FAZIO: Farmers are well represented in Olympia on this issue, so I’m hopeful that any changes to the housing rules will be minimal, but of course we’re watching it carefully.

The proposed rules would not be in effect for this growing season.

That’s Washington Ag Today.

I’m Lacy Gray with the Ag Information Network of the West.