A review committee meets Monday to discuss proposed legislation that will affect wages for farmworkers in Maine.
The Agricultural Workers Minimum Wage Committee released two reports that will guide its work to craft legislation on a minimum hourly wage for farm workers.
After listening sessions with more than 30 farmers in the wild blueberry, potato and dairy fields, the committee members say they found that most Maine producers are paying at least the state minimum wage, with $17 an hour the average.
Mike Pomeroy, a Christmas Tree Farmer in Amherst, says a decent wage is needed to keep workers coming back.
"What I've been paying my Latino help is $17 an hour," he says. "They're worth it and it's fair."
Some growers fear a new law could require them to pay overtime in an industry that is dynamic and often has short harvest windows. But the state says overtime is not part of the committee's task at this time, though there is potential for mandatory overtime hours limits in the future (workers may not work more than 160 hours in a two-week period).
Wild blueberry producers have also asked for a piece rate or wage per unit of crop harvested that is exempted from the minimum wage and future overtime provisions.
A second report, which included feedback from more than 70 farmworkers, revealed universal support for an increased minimum wage to compensate for the lack of benefits and rights, and because their work is hard physical labor.
