State Senator George Borrello calls for the elimination of the Farm Laborer Wage Board
A proposal by State Senator George Borrello to eliminate the Farm Laborer Wage Board and keep the farm labor overtime threshold at the 60-hour level failed on the Senate floor.
Borrello said in a statement, “The farmers I’ve spoken with in my district are dedicated to their work, but are finding it harder to stay afloat financially due to a combination of market changes and burdensome policies coming from Albany. With our agriculture industry poised for more pain because the unelected members of the Farm Laborer Wage Board recommended lowering the overtime threshold, I led a hostile amendment on the senate floor that would eliminate this board and its ability to further harm this vital industry.
On January 28, the Wage Board recommended lowering the overtime threshold from 60 hours per week to 40 hours per week despite warnings from farmers and agriculture producers that the resulting hike in labor costs will decimate agriculture in New York.
Borrello said, “The Wage Board ignored the testimony of farmers, farm workers and a report from Cornell University warning that lowering the overtime threshold will result in less hours and money for farm laborers and threaten the future of farming in New York.”
During the session Wednesday, the Senate passed a series of bills Borrello co-sponsored to support farmers including:
The Locally Sourced Goods for Schools Bill to make it easier for school districts to buy local farm products for school lunches;
The Young Farmers Loan Forgiveness Act to expand eligibility for the New York State Young Farmer Loan Forgiveness Program;
The Farm Workforce Retention Credit Increase Bill to double the farm workforce retention credit from $600 to $1,200 per farm worker for tax years 2021 through 2025; and
The New York State Food Products Bill to increase the purchase of New York farm products by state agencies and facilities.
The Senate also passed a series of agriculture bills Wednesday that Senator Borrello voted for, including:
The One-Stop Farming Hotline Bill that establishes a farming hotline, with assistance from the Cornell Cooperative Extension. The hotline provides information on all aspects of farming including tax credit programs, beginning farmer loans, and sustainable practices;
The Office of Urban Agriculture Bill to create the office of Urban Agriculture to assist and promote different forms of urban farming across the state;
Produce Produced In State Bill to direct the Department of Agriculture and Markets to develop and facilitate regional farmers’ markets to promote the direct marketing of farm products to large-volume purchasers;
Agrivoltaics In Farming Education Bill to direct the Department of Agriculture and Markets to provide guidance and educational materials on the benefits of co-locating solar power systems on active
farmland for crop production;
The Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Act to create the New York State Council on Food Policy to develop state food policies to ensure all New Yorkers are able to eat a healthy diet and avoid food insecurity by consuming New York-grown foods as much as possible; and
Farmers Markets in State Parks Bill to permit farmers markets in state and local parks.
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