Provide Fair Wages for Agricultural Workers

HD2936/SD1239: An Act to Establishing Fairness for Agricultural Workers, filed by Representative Gonzalez and Senator Gomez. During the growing season, it is typical for farmworkers to work up to 11 hours a day, six days a week. Federal law guarantees them a minimum wage of only $7.25 an hour and no right to overtime pay at time-and-a-half. Our state is not much better, setting a substandard minimum agricultural wage for farmworkers at $8.00 per hour, almost 50% below minimum wage of $15 guaranteed to other most workers here. And, like federal law, it does not guarantee farmworkers time-and-a-half for overtime work. MA farmworkers deserve the same wage protections as other essential workers & the sub-minimum agricultural wage should be abolished because it deprives farmworkers of the worth and dignity they deserve.