ALBANY | Sen. Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) is urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to reject the Farm Laborer Wage Board’s recent recommendation to lower the overtime threshold for farmworkers from 60 hours to 40.
The decision from the wage board is deeply unpopular with family farms and would negatively impact farmers and workers alike, prompting outcry from North Country farmers, families and lawmakers alike.
“Lowering the overtime threshold is a move that would spell disaster for family farms and make it harder to hire and maintain a workforce,” Stec said.
“Agriculture is responsible for thousands of jobs and is a major driver of economic revenue in our region and for the state as a whole.
“Between the struggles our farming families have faced for years, rising inflation and a sharp increase in cost of living, changing the overtime threshold harms farmers, workers and the consumers who would now pay more for the quality food they rely on. I urge Gov. Hochul to do right by our agriculture industry and reject the board’s wage increase recommendation.”
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