WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva introduced the Fairness For Farm Workers Act. The bill will remedy decades of discrimination against farm workers by amending the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to eliminate the existing overtime and minimum wage exemptions for farm workers.

“It’s absurd that the men and women who endure the long hours of back-breaking labor to pick the food that feeds millions of American families across our congressional districts are unable to receive proper compensation thanks to an outdated and discriminatory law,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva. “Farm workers work in one of the most hazardous industries in America, and often under dangerous weather conditions to ensure that all of us have access to safe, quality food. With this bill, we can finally secure economic justice for farm workers and get them the pay they deserve.”

When the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established federal standards for minimum wage and overtime pay, the law excluded millions of domestic and agriculture workers who were overwhelmingly people of color. Since 1966, farm workers were afforded some minimum wage protections, but exclusions on overtime persist to this day, and the vast majority of farm workers do not receive any compensation for working more than 40 hours each week. The Fairness for Farm Workers Act would gradually implement overtime pay over the course of four years and bring greater equity to the American agricultural industry.

The bill’s original cosponsors include: Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Luis V Gutiérrez (D-IL), Ted W. Lieu (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Mark Takano (D-CA), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), José E. Serrano (D-NY), Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Michael E. Capuano (D-MA), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Karen Bass (D-CA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), and Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (I-MP).

Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) is introducing companion legislation in the U.S. Senate. 

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