Is Washington’s farmworker overtime law working as intended?

Washington’s farmworker overtime law took full effect this year, with workers now legally required to receive overtime pay after working 40 hours in a single week. In Oregon, a similar law is being phased in — workers currently receive overtime payment after 55 hours of work. The law was intended to fairly compensate farmworkers for the long hours worked during the growing and harvest seasons, but some workers say it’s actually led to lower earnings as farmers hire more workers to avoid paying overtime.

Johanna Bejarano has been covering the law and the controversy surrounding it for Northwest Public Broadcasting. She joins us with more details.

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