A proposal that would phase in more over-time pay for agricultural workers in California was defeated in the State Assembly yesterday by four votes.

California farmers must currently pay overtime when workers exceed 10 hours per day. Assembly Bill 2757 would have ratcheted up over-time payment requirements incrementally, requiring overtime be paid after eight hours per day or 40 hours per week by 2022. The first phase-in was to occur in 2020, when the 10-hour rule would have been reduced to 9 ½ hours per day or 55 hours per week.

Western United Dairymen reports that members of the California Assembly received nearly 700 phone calls and 1,500 emails from dairy farmers expressing their concern over the bill.

“This was an outstanding effort by Western’s leadership who made the decision to participate heavily in the political process this season,” says Western United Dairymen’s President, Frank Mendonsa.  “We are determined to make a difference in the ability for California’s dairy families to survive this challenging dairy market, and this will help keep more dairies in business.”

By Jim Dickrell
Source: MILKbusiness.com