Ag Overtime's Negative Impact
From the Western Ag Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. We told you recently about a new study from WSU showing that the ag overtime law in our state is not a benefit to anyone in agriculture.
Ben Tindall, Executive Director at Save Family Farming, says regardless of who wins the upcoming elections, lawmakers need to do something to save agriculture …
TINDALL … “We’re hopeful, that as we go into the next legislative session in January, that they will look at the data from this report, they’ll look at the vidoes, they’ll look at the stories, they’ll look at the comments from farmworkers, they’ll look at their voices and hear them and meet with them and say, okay, we need to adjust. We need to kind of go back to the drawing board a little bit.”
I asked Tindall if this study will be useful for lawmakers …
TINDALL … “From my perspective, the answer is yes and yes. The goal is that this would be more ammunition or more material to be able to now share with legislators and make them aware that here is some more farmworker voice, here is some more farmworker perspective, here’s what is happening on the ground and how it’s impacting people.”
The study, Tindall says paints a very dark picture for the overtime law …
TINDALL … “And so, it is in all of our best interest, not just a Democrat’s best interest or a Republican’s best interest, it is dependent on all of our best interests that we get this right and that we fix this.”
Tindall says after a few years with this ag overtime law, the evidence of its negative impact is no longer theoretical.
