Historic Bill Giving Farmworkers Overtime Equity Goes to Governor

By Ed Diokno

Larry Itilong and Cesar Chavez, the late founders of the United Farm Workers, would have been pleased.

The California Assembly passed AB1066 – the bill that gives farmworkers the same overtime rights as other workers. If signed, it would be the first in the nation. All that it needs to make it a law is Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature.

“Proud that the Assembly helped promote more justice, equity, fairness and dignity today by passing overtime for our hard-working and invaluable farmworkers,” said Assemblymember Rob Bonta, chair of the API Legislative Caucus.

An earlier version of the bill failed to garner enough votes in the Assembly, but with a few tweaks that gave small farmers more time to phase in the overtime rules, Ab1066 was able to garner enough votes to pass, 44-32.

The bill proposes that the state phase in time-and-a-half pay for farm laborers who exceed eight hours in one day by 2022 on large farms and by 2025 for farms with 25 or fewer employees. Like other workers, farmworkers would be paid overtime if they work more than eight hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week. It would affect about 400,000 agricultural workers.

 

To help persuade lawmakers sitting on the fence, the UFW brought hundreds of farmworkers Monday to the Capitol to help lobby for the measure.