MENDOTA, Calif. (AP)—Many California farmworkers who make up the backbone of the nation’s No. 1 agricultural state were praising historic legislation that brings them closer to receiving the same overtime pay as the rest of the state’s workers who are paid by the hour.
If signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, a new overtime bill would put California at the forefront nationally of farm labor pay and mark a victory in the fight to improve farmworkers rights in the decades old movement launched by Cesar Chavez, the legendary co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association who fought for higher farm worker pay.
Brown, a Democrat, has not said whether he will sign the law that would be the first of its kind for the United States.
Florentino Reyes, 48, has been picking tomatoes and working a wide variety of crops in California’s fertile Central Valley for more than two decades and says he could make another $60 weekly. That would give him more purchasing power to buy better food and clothes for his wife and three children and ease his stress over paying down bills.
“For me, it’s discrimination,” said Reyes, finishing up Tuesday’s harvesting of green tomatoes near the town of Mendota.
But other farmworkers are nervous about California farmers’ claims that the higher overtime pay could hurt them economically and outprice California products from the marketplace in favor of crops grown in other states and countries.
Gonzalo Najera, who drives a tractor on Salinas Valley’s lettuce, carrots and broccoli fields, said some farmers are saying the extra overtime payments could drive them out of the state, but he doesn’t buy the argument.
“The growers can’t leave,” Najera said. “They can’t take their dirt with them.”
Source: www.capitalpress.com