“The proposal to reduce the 60-hour overtime threshold threatened to over-regulate New York’s family farms out of existence. Fortunately, the Wage Board acted prudently in its decision to preserve the current threshold for the time being. This is welcome news for farmers across New York – at least in the short term.

Moving forward, we must keep in mind that the past year has been one of the most difficult for the agricultural industry, which was especially ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a time when we should be working to facilitate economic recovery and avoid putting unnecessary financial pressures onto the backs of New York’s farmers.

I applaud today’s decision by the Wage Board. Simply stated, the farms that provide goods and services here, and across the country, are on the brink of collapse. The Assembly Minority Conference understands the reality thousands of farmers are facing. We remain committed to developing measures that make New York’s agricultural industry more competitive and provide critical relief to the state’s farms and local economies.”