Oregon Legislature approves overtime pay for farmworkers

By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Farmworkers in Oregon would earn overtime pay for the first time in the state under a bill that the Legislature has approved. More than 1,000 people submitted testimony, including farmworkers who said they’ve been taken advantage of for too long for their important labor. If Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, signs the bill, the state will be joining a handful of others, including neighboring California and Washington state, as well as New York state, in ensuring that farmworkers are not excluded from receiving overtime pay. The Oregon Senate passed the bill Thursday, two days after it passed the House. It now goes to Brown’s desk.