Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) is introducing a bill strengthening federal labor protections for America's farmers.
What the Bill Does
The Fairness for Farm Workers Act expands overtime protections and narrows exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
For instance, the bill introduces a lower threshold for farm workers' overtime hours, starting at 55 hours per week in 2027 and then lowering it to 40 hours per week in 2030.
Additionally, farms with 25 employees or fewer will be given more time to comply with the overtime system, starting in 2030 and reaching the 40-hour threshold in 2033.
Moreover, the Fairness for Farm Workers Act repeals current overtime exemptions in the FLSA for agricultural work, including those for agricultural employees and members of an employer's immediate family.
What Grijalva is Saying
"Farm workers play an essential role in the nation's food and agricultural economy yet remain one of the only groups of workers still excluded from full overtime protections under federal law," said Rep. Grijalva in a press release. "This bill is fundamentally about fairness – ensuring that the workers who keep America fed receive the same workplace protections and benefits as any other worker."
Other Overtime Bills
In early August, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced the Double the Wage for Overtime Act, which would raise the overtime pay rate from 1.5 times the hourly rate to double the hourly rate.
According to an Economic Policy Institute study, this would assist 13.4 million workers through a combination of more time off and increased pay.
After all, the 1.5-times standard has been in place since 1938 and has not changed since then.
Employers are less likely to overwork employees to avoid paying the higher rate, encouraging less demanding hours and hiring more workers to cover more shifts.
"Workers have not seen their overtime rate double in nearly 90 years," Sen. Gallego shared in a press release. "And at a time when families are stretching every dollar to afford their needs, increasing the overtime rate will put more money in their pockets."
