SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) Agricultural workers in Washington state would become eligible for overtime pay under a bill moving through the Legislature in Olympia.
Somewhat surprisingly, the bill enjoys bipartisan support and even has the backing of farm employers who say it will bring a level of certainty to their labor costs. Farmworkers have been exempted from overtime pay since 1938, although some states such as California and New York have extended those protections in recent years.
“This bill corrects a historic injustice,” said state Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines. “Most workers in America can take the 40-hour workweek for granted, but for decades, agricultural workers have not been eligible for overtime pay.”