PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 18, 2023
For too long, our government has denied farmworkers the right to unionize and excluded them from overtime eligibility. Farmworkers perform one of the most essential functions in our society. While their back-breaking labor puts food on our tables, still they are treated like second-class citizens. In addition to struggling with some of the lowest wages in the country, they are often brutally exploited. These workers deserve dignity, safe working conditions and fair wages to support their families for the valuable work they do. That’s why we applaud House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross for introducing two bills that will go a long way to addressing these injustices. L.D. 525 would give farmworkers the right to organize and join a union to negotiate fair wages, reasonable schedules, safe working conditions, humane housing accommodations and protections against employer intimidation. L.D. 398 would provide overtime and wage protections for farmworkers, phased in gradually over the next few years to give agricultural businesses time to adjust. ~ Cynthia Phinney, Maine AFL-CIO, and Garrett Stewart, A. Philip Randolph Institute Maine Chapter