Farm Worker Bill Awaiting Action in State Senate

The New York Assembly has passed legislation that would give the state's farm workers a variety of new rights and require that their employers provide workers' compensation coverage.The Assembly voted 83-53 on May 13 to adopt the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act, filed this session as Assembly 1792. A similar bill, Senate 1746, is pending in the Senate. The Senate bill has been cosponsored by 26 Democrats.The legislation provides farm workers with collective-bargaining rights, guarantees them one day off a week, requires the payment of overtime and removes the exemption for farm la...