Ag overtime bill will return in 2022
By Terry Murry on Monday, November 15th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
ECHO – State Rep. Bobby Levy (R-Echo) said the agricultural workers overtime bill may have failed in this year’s session of the Oregon Legislature, but it will be back in 2022 with strong support from the Democrat majority.
“Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) has said that he wants that to be his take-home bill this session,” she said. “We have an uphill battle with that.”
Levy said it’s clearly a case of urban dwellers not understanding planting and harvest seasons.
“The lifeblood of our business is our employees,” she said. “For the most part those employees really like the longer hours during those time periods.”
Levy said if the legislature mandates overtime pay after a 40-hour week, it will mean hiring more workers and paying long-time employees less.
“It puts financial constraints on the farmers and the ranchers,” she said. “They’re going to be cutting their hours back and go to shift work. Most of the employees don’t want that to happen.”
Levy said the Eastern Oregon contingent wants to educate lawmakers. “We’re going to be bringing different Democrats out here to tour and see what it’s like and how the operations work and why ag overtime would not be economically feasible to the farmers, the ranchers, and the workers,” she said.
