In January 2020, FCWA members in New York State won an important victory with the passage of the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act, affording NY farmworkers long overdue labor protections such as paid overtime. But the fight for farm worker protections continues. The new law stipulates that farmworkers in New York must work 60 hours a week before they receive overtime pay. The NYS Department of Labor is currently holding hearings to consider if that overtime threshold should be lowered.

Farm owners are organizing to keep the 60 hour overtime threshold and make sure farmworkers can continue to be legally exploited by not receiving overtime pay after a long work week.  But farmworkers are also speaking out, sharing their stories today on why farmworkers deserve equal pay for equal hours!

We stand with farmworkers, advocates, and allies to say that a 60-hour work week is too long for farmworkers to receive overtime pay, and that the law should be overtime pay after a 40-hour work week like in many other industries.

TAKE ACTION

Like many other food chain workers, farmworkers will work extra hours this holiday season to make sure we get food on our tables.Show solidarity with NY farmworkers by amplifying their stories and demands for equal pay on social media.

Click here to send a tweet demanding equal pay for equal hours:

Sample tweet:

Farmworkers will work extra hours to make sure we all have food during the holidays, even during a global pandemic! We call on @NYSLabor & @NYGovCuomo to lower the overtime threshold for farmworkers! #EqualPay4EqualHours! #ProtectNYFarmworkers