More On WAFLA Allegations

More On WAFLA Allegations

More On WAFLA Allegations. I'm Greg Martin with Washington Ag Today.

Allegations that results of a recent wage survey were skewed by a farm workers association have put the group in the spotlight. Dan Fazio with wafla has taken a lot of heat over the issue but says the allegations are wrong. At issue is whether farmers should report piece rate or hourly wages.

FAZIO: The state responded that growers should report their piece rates for the busiest week of the year – and these would tend to be the highest piece rates.  Then, the state is essentially going to average these "busiest week of the year" piece rates and set them as the minimum piece rate for any grower using to the legal worker program.  The state, however, allowed growers to report either their piece rates or hourly rates.  Wafla recommended that growers report the hourly rates, and of course recommended that growers complete the survey honestly. 

He says the state now want to throw out the results of the survey where growers reported hourly instead of piece rates.

FAZIO: We don't think that is fair, and we are working with the state on this now – we want the state to count every survey.  We know that the state is under tremendous pressure, but I think that we just need to stand up, recognize that there is a labor shortage, and make it easier, not harder, for growers to use the legal worker programs that we have available to us.

As for the allegations, Fazio says it appears they are coming from labor unions.

FAZIO: The state sent us emails mentioning the labor unions role in all the negative publicity.  I read the reports from the state, and they are what they are saying is that wafla's advice influenced growers.  Well, we sure hope we influenced growers to fill out the survey and fill it out honestly, and report the wages they paid – hourly or by piece – as required by the state survey

And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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