WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – New York Farms employ tens of thousands of people. A 2022 USDA census says New York farms employed roughly 60,000 people that year. Now imagine if we lost two-thirds of our farms across the state.. and the amount of jobs that would go with that.
That’s what Congresswoman Claudia Tenney is worried about. In fact that two-thirds statistic was a real number posed to her by Cornell University when factoring in a current state system that affects farms big and small.
So what’s the system in question?
“It concerns overtime,” said Claudia Tenney.
Over the next 7 years, the overtime threshold for farm workers will decrease to 40 hours a week, meaning workers could more easily obtain overtime pay. For Tenney, therein lies the issue.
“I would argue most of those people who voted on that bill have never been to a working farm.// It just did not take into account the real problems that farmers face,” said Tenney.
While Labor unions argue the current system will create equity for farm workers, Tenney is concerned that the cost of a lower overtime threshold will put smaller farms in the red, forcing many to shut down ultimately hurting the farm owners and their workers.
“The ones who can’t survive are going to be these wonderful small family farms that put so much care and interest into making sure they produce excellent quality foods, and they care about the people who work for them. You’re going to end up with these industrialized farms that are just going to be like factories. The care, the animal husbandry, the things that you see that were part of the traditional family farm are not going to be prioritized,” said Tenney.
Until two years ago it was 60 hours a week before workers could earn overtime, and Claudia Tenney believes therein lies the solution.
“Going back to the original way that it had been for many years in New York will help our farmers, keep our farmers here, keep the economy here, keep our workers here,” said Tenney.
Tenney plans to reverse the current system with a bill called the ‘Protect Local Farms Act.’ It would be a federal change that would overrule New York’s law and revert back to the 60-hour Overtime threshold.
Tenney introduced the Protect Local Farms Act last week. It will need to work its way through Congress before any change can be made. She’s urging people to contact their congressional representatives and senators when the time comes and ask them to vote yes.
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