OFB: Overtime Changes Would Be Detrimental To Oregon’s Farming Community

During the upcoming session, lawmakers in Salem will look at altering overtime exemptions for agricultural workers. If approved, it would require overtime pay for all farm workers once they’ve crossed 40 hours in a week. The farming community is expressing fear of what this could do to the ag economy and the state’s overall economy. Devon Wells, president of the Hood River County Farm Bureau said many don’t appreciate the impact this change would have all small towns across the state.

“If we start switching to using the H-2A farm labor, these people that live here and work here and have raised their families 2^nd and 3^rd generation ag workers, are going to have to either find another industry to work in or move out of the area which is going to be detrimental to our school system and our community in general, so it seems to be a pretty big threat to our farming communities throughout the state.”

Wells said if approved, the overtime change would alter the face of farming across Oregon, as many small and medium farms would go under, and larger companies would come in and purchase those properties.

He adds producers are not trying to skirt the law, but instead are working hard to make ends meet while providing the freshest fruits and vegetables to consumers.

“If we keep having these legislative mandates put on top of us, it makes that food chain more expensive. We’re already seeing supply chain and food chain issues, and if they keep adding regulations, it’s going to make things worse.”

Wells added while some have tried to make the overtime issue one about race, he said that couldn’t be further from the truth, adding many farmers consider their workers friends and family.

Click Here for a recent survey regarding the impact these overtime rule changes would have of the Oregon farming community.