Lawmakers pass bill granting farm laborers long-denied protections
By Ali Hibbs Albany, N.Y. — On the last day of the 2019 legislative session, state lawmakers passed the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act, granting collective bargaining rights, overtime pay, workers’ compensation and unemployment benefits to farm laborers. The legislation, S.6578 / A.8419, also provides 24 consecutive hours of rest each week, and a sanitary code for all farm and food processing