Court to Review Case that Could Upend Law Barring Farm Laborers from Benefits
Tuesday, February 23, 2016 | 0
New Mexico’s Supreme Court has agreed to review an appellate court decision that cleared the way for injured farm workers to receive workers’ compensation benefits, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper.
The decision concerns two cases that were brought by workers that challenged the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act, which excludes farm and ranch laborers from its coverage. The workers, who were injured on the job, have challenged the law, saying it violates workers’ rights to equal protection under the New Mexico constitution.
In 2014, the New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration dismissed the actions. The cases – Rodriguez v. Brand West Dairy and Maria Aguirre vs. M.A. & Sons Chili Products – were combined when the plaintiffs appealed those decisions to the New Mexico Court of Appeals.
Last June, the New Mexico Court of Appeals reversed the WCA’s decisions.
The Supreme Court has issued an order suspending the appellate court ruling pending review of the case, according to the newspaper, but the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty said it planned to file a motion asking the court to lift the stay.
According to the report, the WCA had recently started awarding benefits to injured farm and ranch workers to comply with the appellate court’s decision.
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