Fairness For Farmworkers

Sponsored by Senator Adam Gomez, Representative Carlos Gonzalez, Senator Adam Hinds, and Representative Paul Mark, the new Fairness for Farmworkers bill will make three important changes to state labor law, if we can get it passed:

1) Increase farmworker wages to guarantee that farmworkers earn the same state minimum wage that most other workers earn, thus abolishing Massachusetts' current law that permits an $8/hour subminimum wage specifically for agricultural workers.

2) Allow seasonal farmworkers to earn overtime pay after 55 hours of work. Current law does not include overtime protections for most farmworkers.

3) Guarantee two paid rest breaks per day, when farmworkers work 8 hours or more.

4) Provides Farmworkers with with the opportunity to earn 55 hours of paid time off yearly. During the peak of the season, it is not uncommon for farmworkers to labor six or even seven days a week, working an exhausting total of 60-80 hours.

In August of 2021, the Fairness for Farmworkers Coalition released Fruits of the Past, a 45-page white paper detailing the facts, policies and reasons to enact the FFA.  A copy of Fruits of the Past is available for downloading here.