01/12/07 Rewriting the Contract

Rewriting the contract. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Sometimes getting your work done depends on how things are written. Jim Hazen, Executive Director of the Washington State Horticultural Association says a recent proposal to rewrite the statute governing farm labor contractors really was a problem. HAZEN: The rewrite was really a problem. It would have made it nearly impossible for the industry to use farm labor contractors and to take advantage of guest worker programs because it would have adopted just a whole host of restrictions that would have made it too expensive, too bureaucratic and too difficult for a farm labor contractor to receive a license to operate in the state. Hazen says the Hort Association has been working with L&I to get this straightened out. HAZEN: We have been working with L&I, explaining to them our problems with the proposal. We actually provided the state with a legal analysis highlighting some of the problems with this legislative proposal and we were informed this week that they have pulled back that bill which is really, I think, a good win for the industry. If you have a question or a comment about one of the stories you've heard, please drop me an email, gmartin@aginfo.net. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.