vision2020
Re: e mail for Murf Raquet
Dear Tom and Vision 2020:
I agree, Tom, that there should be no exclusion. Farm workers deserve
minimum wage protection, period. You will be working on this with the Farm
WOrkers Coalition at 9 and then the Legislative Interim COmmittee at 10. I
will be in Boise also for a press conference on city issues and for the AIC
Legislative COmmittee where I will suggest that we join with the Farmworkers
in advocating full coverage by minimum wage protection. With the strength of
numbers and diverse groups in support, this inequity will be laid to rest.
I was glad to see the Governor, even belatedly, recognize the simple justice
of this provision. The piece work exception should go.
All the best to you and your good work on this important legislation,
Linda Pall
PS: Visionaries: You could help in this regard and write to the Governor
asking that his support for minimum wage for farm workers be without
qualification. Thanks in advance for making your voice heard.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Trail" <ttrail@moscow.com>
To: <vision2020>
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2000 9:47 AM
Subject: e mail for Murf Raquet
> >Visionaires--The issue of minimum wage for farm workers has now moved
from
> >the economic
> stage to that of a major Human Rights issue in Idaho. Governor Kempthorne
> is endorsing a
> minimum wage bill for farm workers with a piece work exclusion. This
> simply doesn't do the job.
>
> > Tomorrow I'm meeting with the Farm Workers Coalition in Boise at 9 am
> >and then we have our Legislative Interim Committee meeting at 10:00 am on
> >the minimum wage
> >for farmer workers legislation. Reps. Bieter, Robison, and I will
> >introduce the same bill
> >that we introduced to the House Ag Committee last February--abolish the
ag
> >exemption in Fair
> >Labor Act and put all workers in the state on the level playing field of
> >the minimum wage.
>
> >The Governor's endorsement of the minimum
> >wage for farm workers is a step forward; however, there is one giant
> >black hole in his
> >endorsement. He supports the minimum wage as long there is a piece work
> >exclusion. About
> >two-thirds of our 35,000 farm workers would fall under the piece work
> >exclusion. First of all,
> >farm worker advocates support piece work since the majority of workers
> >under piece work
> >earn above the minimum wage. The opponents to the minimum wage have
> >broadcast that
> >farm workers advocates are against piece work. This is simply a red
> >herring and not true.
> >
> >The problem with piece work is that employers/contractors can lower the
> >piece work rates
> >and one soon finds that the majority of farm workers are being paid below
> >the minimum wage.
> >This has happened in Texas and Michigan. The Farm Worker Advocates
> >support piece work but
> >want a guaranteed minimum wage set so that all farm workers being paid
> >under piece work
> >get the minimum wage.
> >
> >This can be done in the following way. The Department of Labor will be
> >required to monitor
> >the records of farmers and contractors. Farmers must keep records of the
> >names of workers,
> >amount paid, and amount of time worked. Washington State, for examples,
> >requires that
> >employers keep weekly records and other states require daily records. At
> >the end of a week
> >of work, the amount paid a worker for piece work is totaled up. The
total
> >amount is then
> >divided by the number of hours worked. If the total falls below the
$5.15
> >for minimum wage
> >then the difference is made up to the worker thus guaranteeing payment of
> >the minimum wage.
> >This is being done in other states so there is no reason we can't do it
in
> >Idaho.
> >
> >Speaker Bruce Newcomb and Senate President Pro Tem Bob Geddes agree that
> >the minimum
> >wage issue isn't going to make a difference in staying in business or
not.
> >They state that most
> >farmers already pay more than the minimum wage and accepting the minimum
> >wage proposal
> >with a piece work exclusion is really just a formality. Therefore,
> >Legislative leadership is
> >telling us that there is no longer an economic reason to deny farm
workers
> >the minimum wage.
> >
> >We are now faced with a Human Rights issue instead of an economic issue.
> >No other
> >occupational group of workers are faced with a piece work exclusion. By
> >leaving this loophole
> >in the law we end up with a group of largely Hispanic second class
> >citizens. We simply want
> >everybody on the same level playing field with their rights to the
minimum
> >wage protected by
> >the law. To fail to do so is a scar on Idaho's so called campaign for
> >diversity. We've got to
> >admit that part of our image problem is we don't treat our citizens
> >equally. The only way we can get blotch off our record is to repeal the
> >agricultural examption.
> >
> >Rep. Tom Trail/Dist. 5
> >
> >
>
> Dr. Tom Trail
> International Trails
> 1375 Mt. View Rd.
> Moscow, Id. 83843
> Tel: (208) 882-6077
> Fax: (208) 882-0896
> e mail ttrail@moscow.com
>
>
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