By Ryan Morden
Oswego, NY – Lawmakers on the State Senate's Agriculture Committee voted down the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act.
Among features of the bill, farmers would have had to pay over time to laborers who work more than 60 hours a week or 10 hours in a day and farm workers would gain the right to form a union if they work at the state's largest farms.
North Country state Sen. Darrel Aubertine is the chairman of the agriculture Committee and opposes the bill.
Sen. Aubertine said if supporters bring back the bill next year, he would hear them out.
"I've been willing to work with anybody on any of these issues to make sure that farm laborers, consumers, farmers are all treated fairly," said Sen. Aubertine, "That's really the end game here and I'm certainly willing to work with all parties to make sure everyone is treated equitably and fairly. And that no one is exploited in the farm community or any labor community in New York State."
The group Justice for Farmworkers support the measure and released a statement that said the Agriculture Committee used Senate rules to bury the labor bill.
The group said they wont relent until justice prevails.