California Governor Jerry Brown has recently approved a major legislation into the state’s wage and hour policies, by introducing overtime requirements for farm workers.
This California overtime bill will help farm workers gain overtime benefits, which has won praise from one the biggest farm workers union in the United States.
Governor Brown approved the California overtime bill, Assembly Bill No. 1066, which no longer declares farm workers as exempt from minimum wage benefits.
This includes meal breaks, rest periods, and overtime benefits, which will be integrated into the state’s legal system for over the course of four years.
After the California overtime bill was passed, the state government earned massive praise from farm workers union United Farm Workers.
The union group stated that Governor Brown had “corrected a historic wrong and set an example for other states to follow.”
According to office of California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who put the bill forward, the law will require employers to pay farm workers overtime and will decrease the long work days.
The current 10 hour day shift to eight hours, while creating the standard 40 hour work week for employers to log.
This California overtime bill will be put into effect in three years.
“Beginning in 2019, the phase-in would be by annual half-hour-per-day increments until reaching eight hours and annual five-hour-per-week increments until reaching 40 hours. Both final standards would be achieved in 2022,” Gonzalez’s office said.
Overview of California Overtime Bill
The California overtime bill has gained massive support, from different representatives calling it a major victory “for economic justice”.
Some supporters have even compared the bill to state’s recent decision to raise California minimum wage rate to $15 per hour.
In addition to the high minimum wage rate, California requires 30 minute meals breaks every five hours as well as a 10 minute rest breaks every four hours.
If a non exempt employee works for over 40 hours in a single work week, then the employee is entitled to 1.5x increased hourly pay.
For years farm workers were considered exempt employees from these benefits, and will now soon have the same rights and protections due to the new California overtime bill.
However not everyone is happy with the new California overtime bill, with opponents arguing that the bill would significantly impact the overall salary rate of agricultural workers income.
Opponents of the bill argue that this legislation combined with the recent minimum wage increase, would make paying seasonal workers very difficult and would significantly decrease the California agricultural production.
Opposition group Western Growers’ Association (WGA) has called for a veto, stating the California overtime bill puts the state’s farmers at a severe disadvantage.
“It’s already one of only five states that provide overtime to farm workers, and the only that requires daily overtime after 10 hours”, the WGA said.
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