Minnesota Bill to Update Ag Worker Laws Moves Forward in State Legislature
A proposal amending existing labor laws covering workers in Minnesota’s food processing and agricultural industries is moving ahead in the state legislature.
According to a Minnesota House of Representatives article, a multitude of laws governing labor standards for workers in Minnesota’s food processing and agricultural industries have "lay dormant for over a decade. HF70 would make numerous substantive adjustments to this sleepy area of state law."
Rep. Rick Hansen, the bill’s sponsor, explained that the state has changed, the world has changed and it's time to update and evolve these laws. He also noted his longstanding involvement in these issues. In fact, he played a key role in passing many of those statutes 16 years ago.
On Jan. 19, the House Labor and Industry Finance and Policy Committee approved the proposed updates on a split-voice vote, sending the bill to the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee, the article said.
The bill would amend labor law in these ways:
- Currently, the Packinghouse Workers Bill of Rights only covers workers at meatpacking plants and only requires new employee paperwork to be provided in English and Spanish. The bill would expand the statute to include workers in poultry processing and mandate paperwork be provided in a recruit’s native language.
- Protections found in the Bill of Rights would be enlarged, affirming new workers are entitled to receive information about worker’s compensation insurance at the beginning of employment. These updated protections would be applied to migrant workers in the agricultural sector, too.
- Fines levied by the Department of Labor and Industry and penalties handed down by court order for violating the terms of these employment standards would be increased.
Although the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1189, which represents food processing workers across the state, signaled its strong support of the measure with both written and oral testimony, not everyone is on board.
Rep. Isaac Schultz (R-Elmdale Township) expressed alarm that the bill would hurt the state’s ability to remain competitive in the industry.
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