Bill proposed to pay farm workers overtime after 8 hrs
Posted: Jun 24, 2010 5:03 PM PDT
Updated: Jun 24, 2010 7:28 PM PDT

SALINAS, Calif,- In California farm workers can work hunched over for up to ten hours without getting paid overtime. That's why Senator Dean Florez is proposing a bill that would pay them overtime after eight hours but not everyone likes it.

Senator Florez said farm workers haven't had a voice in politics at the national level or even the state level in a strong way that would say they are workers like every other worker.

He added that he and his family worked in the fields for years. Now he wants to make sure farm workers get the same overtime benefits as everyone else. That means anything over 8 hours a day is extra money.

"They work very hard, in many cases 12-13 hours to bring the harvest in, yet they're getting paid the same as hour one and that's not the case for

any other worker in the nation," said Senator Florez.

Ag companies are against the bill. Jim Bogart with the Grower-Shipper Association said this would hurt farm workers because now they will lose two hours of work.

"Harvesting crews are going to be cutting back to eight hours a day so what this law is going to do is cost me as a worker, 30 dollars a day so in essence my wages would be cut," said Bogart.

Efren Barajas with the Union for Farm workers supports the bill and says the work must get done regardless so there will be no way around overtime and farm workers benefit.

"When growers have the need, they'll pay for overtime so we don't worry too much about that,"said Barajas.

Teresa Aguilar worked in the fields for ten years and said this bill would help her financially.

"We would benefit more and it's better for us because our money would last longer," said Aguilar.

The bill will go to the assembly next week and if it passes, it will go into effect January first.

Submitted by Lucero Benitez, Central Coast News

http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12706531