Farm worker advocates are sounding the alarm on overtime pay. One legal expert warns that this push could add more strain to an industry already facing major challenges.
“My thing with the overtime is it hurts the employee,” explained Shawn Packer, principal at JPH Law. “It hurts the employer, too, but it hurts the employee because you’re limiting the hours that they’re working, so that you’re not paying the overtime, so they’re actually making less money.”
Packer added that while there is a lot of advocacy surrounding the prevailing wage lawsuit, it ultimately takes money out of the pockets of farm workers.
When it comes to regulations, such as the heat rule, Packer said that it only adds to the problem.
“One of the things, especially when we started looking at the heat rule and everything else, that’s amazing to me is you’ve got these advocacy organizations that are pushing so hard to keep piece rate, but then we have these regulations that tell us to stop working. And the workers, that’s all they want to do is they want to make that piece rate.”
Bottom line: Packer says that despite all the efforts advocates make, the workers are still making less money.
Farm debt is climbing to record levels at ag banks, reflecting pressure on crop producers’ finances even as livestock and land values lend stability to the sector.
October 03, 2025 03:53 PM
·
University of Illinois Ag Economist Gary Schnitker says early projections indicate soybeans will be more profitable than corn in 2026.
October 03, 2025 11:53 AM
·
Approximately 42,000 birds were affected in the outbreak, officials said.
October 03, 2025 10:50 AM
·
Beef demand could be influencing other economic sectors, as consumers adjust spending habits to prioritize higher-priced beef products.
October 02, 2025 01:39 PM
·
Dr. Beetham outlined the background of the EU’s decision to modernize seed regulations and where the process stands today, and its impact on global agriculture and food security.
October 02, 2025 01:24 PM
·
Jeremy Kelly explains how Darling Ingredients’ mission aligns with FFA’s values and why investing in future ag leaders is so important.
October 02, 2025 12:20 PM
·
In a final rule published in the Federal Register, the Department states that it will no longer base wage rates on the Farm Labor Survey.
October 02, 2025 11:20 AM
·
Farmers are in the midst of harvest as the government descends into a shutdown and the Farm Bill expires. Key federal departments, crop reporting, and aid programs important to the agricultural sector are now on hold.
October 02, 2025 10:54 AM
·
Farmers face tighter barge capacity and higher freight costs during peak harvest.
October 01, 2025 04:06 PM
·
