Dairy Report: New York Dairy Farmers Could Pay More for Overtime
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The debate over a plan to lower New York state’s ag overtime to 40 hours is on hold for now. The Farm Workers Wage Board under the New York Labor Department will now hold three additional public hearings next month. Then it will either decide to accept or reject a proposal to lower the ag overtime threshold to 40 hours from the current standard of 60 hours.
Last year, the state passed a law for ag employers to pay overtime after a 60-hour workweek. It’s something many dairy producers in the state are watching, with New York’s minimum wage set to increase from $12.50 to $13.20 an hour on January 1st.
Labor Survey
A new Department of Labor survey shows workers on U.S. farms are quite loyal to their employers, and they like their bosses. The latest National Ag Workers Survey covers 2017 to 2018. Some other key findings, 77% of all workers interviewed for the survey were Hispanic. Among U.S. born workers, only 30% were Hispanic. 37% were not legally authorized to work in the U.S., and the average age was 41, with 64% over the age 35. The average hourly wage was $12.32.
