Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C, Elma) issued the following statement:                                                                                         

"The decision by the Farm Laborers Wage Board to lower the overtime threshold  from 60 hours to 40 is harmful for New York’s agriculture industry and will jeopardize the future of family farms.

Everyone who works in agriculture understands that farms do not have a standard eight-hour workday and cannot function under a rigid, factory-like schedule, especially at harvest time.

The board’s decision will result in fewer opportunities for farm workers and increased labor costs for farm operators.  Both are bad for NY’s economy.  I urge the Governor and the Commissioner of Labor to reject this recommendation."