Only the oldest amongst my readers will remember Edward R. Murrow’s 1960 CBS TV report Harvest of Shame (opens CBS channel on YouTube) that reported on migrant farm workers, including scenes from upstate NY and Long Island. Unfortunately, not a lot has changed for the better in the lives of migrant farm workers over the last 63 years. For instance, here in New York State “The phased-in, gradual reduction in the overtime pay threshold will begin on January 1, 2024, with the threshold set at 56 hours. The process will continue with the overtime threshold limit reducing by 4 hours every other year until reaching 40 hours in 2032.”1 What an enormous achievement! Overtime pay begins at 40 hours for virtually all other hourly employees. This has been true for as long as I have been alive.
John Oliver has a new segment that addresses the current situation – Farmworkers: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. 25 minutes long and there are occasional moments when you can laugh.
