Overtime-Worker's Perspective Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. Farm workers would rather work extended hours during harvest season than be paid overtime.
Save Family Farming’s Dillon Honcoop says that’s what they’re hearing from many, many workers they’ve talked to who stand to lose hours thanks to the new overtime laws …
HONCOOP … “Workers have a passion for what they’re doing on the farm as well and, you know, they just want to be a part of it. They want to be a part of harvest. I know that’s the way it was for me when I was working in fruit. I just wanted to be there, I didn’t want to have to split my time here and then somewhere else to be able to make the kind of money that I needed to make.”
Many workers, Honcoop says may go to other states for work …
HONCOOP … “I’m hearing from a lot of workers that are thinking about doing that. I’m hearing workers who are saying, I’ve lost a lot of my colleagues already, people that I did work with here who have left and said I just can’t get the hours I want here. I’m looking at doing something else.”
Farming, Honcoop says is a calling for so many …
HONCOOP … “Whether it’s farmers or farm workers, a lot of folks have a passion for growing food, and maybe they grew up doing it, which is a story from so many workers as well, saying, hey I grew up on a farm. This is what I like to do. This is what my parents did. This is where I feel comfortable, and this is what I want to keep doing.”
For more on overtime concerns and other ag-related stories, go to the Save Family Farming website at www.savefamilyfaring.org
