ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Farmworkers from around New York plan to gather at the state Capitol in Albany on Monday to push for legislation that would grant them the right to unionize for better wages and conditions.
Monday’s rally comes as lawmakers consider whether to vote on the bill, known as the Farmworker Fair Labor Practices Act.
The act would rescind an 80-year-old law that prohibited farmworkers from unionizing. It would also guarantee extra pay for overtime as well as workers compensation benefits.
Farm laborers say they deserve the same benefits and protections as other workers.
Many farm owners and agricultural organizations, however, argue that higher wages and the risk that workers could strike will devastate small farms and hurt the state’s agricultural economy.
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