Farmworkers and Farmers Disagree on Oregon's Overtime Law
Some farmworkers claim they are making less money, not more, due to Oregon's overtime law, while farmers argue they cannot afford to pay the overtime.
For Maria de Lourdes Navarro and her son, David Montiel, the grape harvest season in the Willamette Valley is a busy time. Their day starts at 5 a.m. and includes physically demanding work, such as hauling heavy buckets of grapes.
“When we get back [home], we wash our dirty gloves. And work clothes need to be set aside. We don’t have a washing machine here. So we have to go do laundry elsewhere,”
Navarro said, describing their daily routine. Despite the challenges, they continue to work hard, often finishing their day by early afternoon.
Farmers, on the other hand, claim that paying overtime is not feasible for them. This disagreement highlights the complexities of implementing overtime laws in the farming industry.
Author's summary: Farmworkers and farmers disagree on Oregon's overtime law effectiveness.