Griffo to New York DOL: Reject proposal to lower farm overtime threshold

ALBANY, NY- New York’s Department of Labor has a choice to approve or deny a proposal that would ultimately lower the overtime threshold for farmworkers down to 40-hours, and one state lawmaker is urging its commissioner to err on the side of rejection.

In a letter sent to Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, Senator Joe Griffo (R-C-I-Rome) suggests lowering the threshold would ultimately have “devastating consequences throughout the economy.”

"While I understand that the Board is attempting to soften the impact of its decision by implementing the threshold change over a ten-year period, the change is unacceptable and will cause irreparable harm to New York's farmers," Griffo wrote to Commissioner Reardon.

Other lawmakers have warned that if this motion is approved, it would create further burden against small family farms.

The board was tasked with studying overtime pay for farmworkers and consists of representatives from the New York Farm Bureau, the AFL-CIO and a member who is selected by the state Department of Labor.

The DOL has a month and a half to review and come back with a final decision.

Read the full letter from Griffo to DOL Commissioner Reardon below:

Dear Commissioner Reardon, 

Today the New York Farm Laborers Wage Board made the recommendation to lower the overtime threshold to 40 hours. While I understand that the Board is attempting to soften the impact of its decision by implementing the threshold change over a ten-year period, the change is unacceptable and will cause irreparable harm to New York's farmers. I encourage you to reject the recommendation of the Board and maintain the current 60 hour threshold that was established in 2019. 

The state of the economy is such that if the overtime threshold were lowered to the level recommended by the Board it would have devastating consequences throughout the economy. The everyday struggles of New York's locally owned farms have been well documented over the last several years; however, the relationship between these small businesses and the customers they serve has come into better focus due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the current state of the economy. For the state to have a direct impact on the further increase in the price of goods would be governmental and economic malpractice – we simply cannot afford to further burden New Yorkers financially. 

With this in mind, I would again encourage you to reject the Board's recommendation and maintain the overtime threshold that currently exists. 

Sincerely, 

Joseph A. Griffo, Senator, 47th District.

Image courtesy via the office of New York State Senator Joe Griffo.