SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Agricultural workers in Washington state would become eligible for overtime pay under a bill moving through the Legislature in Olympia.Somewhat surprisingly, the bill enjoys bipartisan support and even has the backing of farm employers who say it will bring a level of certainty to their labor costs. Farmworkers have been exempted from overtime protections since 1938, although some states such as California and New York have extended those protections in recent years.Senate Bill 5172, sponsored by Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, was passed Tuesday by the Senate on a 37-12 vote and sent to the House for consideration. The Senate bill grew out of a landmark November decision by the state Supreme Court that granted overtime protections for dairy workers.
Measure allowing overtime for farmworkers moves forward
