The Washington State House Appropriations Committee took testimony on March 30, on SB 5172, the ag overtime bill.
A lobbyist with the Washington Potato & Onion Association, Diana Carlen, urged the committee to amend the bill with technical fixes and a seasonality provision. The provision being requested by the agricultural community would allow for an exemption from the minimum wage requirements for up to 50 hours per week of work during a 12-week period – essentially harvest season for most crops.
The WA Potato & Onion Assoc. is working to convince members of the House Democratic caucus to adopt the amendment and needs more farmers and farmworkers to contact legislators requesting the amendment. The United Farm Workers, the state Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and others are opposing the amendment.
For more information, go to www.washingtonfarmcommunity.com.
