Labor
Growers get proactive for workers relations
Wage rates, federal and state labor laws, food safety regulations and buyer-mandated audits are making employers’ relationships with staff increasingly more complicated. Workers need to be trained in procedures and best practices, but with the... more »
BREAKING: US District Court rules against farmers in wage lawsuit
Monday evening, March 18, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly issued a memorandum of opinion in a case brought by the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) against the U.S. Department of Labor. NCAE and... more »
Study: Farm bill to cost NY farmers $300M more in labor costs
New York Farm Bureau highlighted a new report March 5 that detailed the extreme costs facing the state’s family farms should the farmworker labor bill (S. 2837/A. 2750) pass this legislative session. Farm Credit East,... more »
ESL, citizenship prep funds available from tree fruit industry
The Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) provides grants to organizations in central Washington that provide adult education assistance to families employed in the tree fruit industry. Organizations, including community groups, religious institutions and public and... more »
H-2A use soars amid wage challenges
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) certified nearly a quarter of a million H-2A positions in 2018. This is 108 percent more than the number of positions certified in fiscal year 2014, just five years... more »
Fruit Growers News webinar focuses on ag labor issues
The ability for specialty crop operations to secure a stable and reliable workforce to plant, harvest, pack and ship their products has been curtailed for a number of years. As the industry adjusts to global... more »
Court expands joint employer liability theory for ag employers
A federal appeals court has made a sweeping change for agricultural employers that will make it easier for workers to bring discrimination claims against them under a joint employment theory. In last week’s EEOC v. Global... more »
California labor commissioner issues ag overtime guidelines
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office has posted guidance for agricultural employers and workers on an overtime pay schedule that went into effect Jan. 1. The law’s overtime pay requirements will be phased in according to... more »
