'Overtime for farmworkers' bill heads to Governor Brown's desk

SALEM, Ore. – A majority of the Oregon House and Senate approved overtime pay for agricultural workers.

“Farmworkers have long been excluded from requirements for overtime compensation,” Oregon Democrats said. “When the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938 it excluded agricultural workers, and still today, agricultural workers remain exempt from both state and federal overtime protections.”

House Bill 4002 establishes pay requirements for agricultural workers in Oregon after 40 hours per week. If signed by Governor Kate Brown, the law will be gradually phased in over a five-year period.

HB 4002 also includes language that would create a refundable tax credit for employers who give farmworkers overtime pay. Oregon Democrats said the credit is designed to help out smaller farms.

The legislation passed in a 17 to 10 party-line vote.