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by Guy Page
A legislative study committee voted 5-3 today to require farmers to pay workers the state minimum wage.
All three No votes were Republicans: Sen. Randy Brock, Sen. Brian Collamore, and Rep. Ashley Bartley.
If the legislative Agricultural Worker Labor and Employment Law Study Committee recommendation is enacted into law, the minimum wage requirement would apply to all farm workers who are legally allowed to work in the U.S.. It is unclear whether the law also would apply to illegal immigrants, AKA ‘undocumented workers.’ The committee has not decided that point yet, a committee member said today.
The current minimum wage is $13.67/hour. Under current law, farmers would be allowed to deduct rent and utilities from pay for workers living on the farm – a provision hotly disputed by Yes vote Rep. Heather Surprenant (D-Barnard).
Current state law exempts farmers from paying the state minimum wage. They are required to pay at least the federal $7.25/hour wage, a Dec. 2 report to the committee states.
According to the 2022 U.S. Census, 852 migrant workers were employed on Vermont farms, with 10 farms using exclusively migrant labor and 187 farms using a mixture of migrant and non-migrant labor. The migrant worker (including illegal immigrants) advocacy organization Migrant Justice claims ‘undocumented’ dairy workers earn $11.67, about $2 less than Vermont’s minimum wage.
It is unclear how many of those 852 migrant workers are in the U.S. illegally. To muddy the waters further, some workers here illegally consider themselves Vermont residents and therefore are not counted as ‘migrant workers.’
In voting no, Collamore said raising the MW won’t discernibly help workers because of the permitted deduction of living expenses.
Brock said he is reluctant to vote because he questions underlying data in the report. During the committee meeting, the senator from farm-heavy Franklin County expressed skepticism about the reported, vs. actual number of migrant farm workers.
Voting yes were Sen. Irene Wrenner (Chittenden), Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden), Rep. David Durfee (D-Shaftsbury), Surprenant, and Rep. Robin Chesnut-Tangerman (D-Middletown Springs). The latter also said he opposes the living expense reduction.
The committee will discuss paying farm workers overtime and collective bargaining rights this afternoon.
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Categories: Agriculture
It will be interesting to see how Vermont’s legislature creates a mandate and entitlement for people who have no entitlement to even be in the country. What we really need is a visa program for year-round foreign agricultural workers. If we can have such a program for seasonal apple pickers, why not dairy workers? Pat Leahy was unable to get such a program established in 48 years of service, but maybe the Trump administration can move on this? Then we can have legitimate discussions about wage structure and working conditions.
Rich, look up the H2A visa. It already exists. I work with some people from all over the world that are here legally that are here with H2B or J1 visas.
They want to crush agriculture and control every bit of food production in our state, they do not want any self-reliance or profiting, if at all possible.
Free rent and utilities for $7 per hour per month equals $1120 per month, where are you going to find an all-inclusive apartment for his price? Doesn’t exist.
Oh, wait, it does, it’s paid for by the Vermont tax payer affordable housing cabal, where the Vermont tax payer pays all the money for people.
These people are insane from all the “free money” of the Vermont tax payer.
Does anyone know the meaning of ‘illegal’ anymore?
Hello?
Illegal=contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law
Scott better veto the bill!
Eleven dollars per hour, fifty hour week equals five hundred and fifty dollars plus two hundred fifty dollars per week free rent that is not taxed and free forty dollar light bill per week. The only question i have is who is paying the heat bill?????
Don’t look now. But I know two immigrant workers with H2-A visas. They’ve worked here in Vermont from May to November for the last three years and they earn considerably more than the minimum wages specified in this missive. They’re insured too. So, this yada, yada legislation is just so much talk.
What isn’t discussed here is the Federal regulation that benefits Vermont’s above-board immigrant employers. Specifically, while the wages are much higher than any discussed here, overtime doesn’t kick in until 65 regular hours per 7-day week is reached, compared to the typical 40 hour per week rule. But hey, the difference is an incentive for employers to hire H2-A visa holders – so everyone benefits – legally!
The question is, how are illegal immigrants hired and compensated? They don’t have to be ‘illegal’. They could have done what my Brazilian friends did. Apply for a visa and work here legally.