NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD-TV) — The labor group United Farm Workers is taking the Trump Administration to court over recent changes to the H-2A program. The lawsuit, filed Friday in the Eastern District of California, argues that the cuts to H-2A minimum wage rates will also reduce pay for domestic workers.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.
“By DOL’s own admission, DOL engineered the IFR to reduce wages paid to temporary foreign farmworkers and, in turn, U.S. workers—the precise workers whose wages and working conditions federal law protects. In short, the IFR has created the ‘adverse effect’ that DOL is tasked with preventing,” says the lawsuit filed on behalf of 18 individual farm workers as well as the United Farm Workers of America and the UFW Foundation.
Other agricultural groups, like the National Council of Agriculture Employers, disagree and say the new rates bring ag wages back to reality. The International Fresh Produce Association called the interim final rule “an historic step forward in creating a fairer, more predictable, and administratively workable process for setting H-2A wage rates.”
The U.S.-China summit raises hopes for stronger exports and reduced barriers, but U.S. ag players should remain strategically cautious until concrete volumes and certifications materialize.
October 30, 2025 10:37 AM
·
Dr. Ashley Johnson, with the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), joins us to share the sector’s perspective on new FDA initiatives targeting ultra-processed foods.
October 29, 2025 01:52 PM
·
Cattle markets are collapsing this week, and analysts say that several factors are at play. Consumer beef prices also remain near all-time highs, threatening long-term demand.
October 29, 2025 12:58 PM
·
Alan Bjerga, Senior Vice President of Communications with the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), shares updates and resources available to dairy producers.
October 28, 2025 02:03 PM
·
FarmHER Erin Cumings shares how Nationwide’s “Every STEP Counts” helps farm and agribusiness owners prioritize safety.
October 28, 2025 01:21 PM
·
Shaun Haney, Host of RealAg Radio, discusses President Trump’s move to halt trade talks with Canada and Mexico over a commercial about tariffs launched by the Government of Ontario.
October 28, 2025 12:04 PM
·
Input costs are top of mind for farmers, as they contribute to higher prices and smaller profits.
October 28, 2025 12:00 PM
·
The President’s trip to Asia this week follows a trade mission by the Iowa Soybean Association. Farmers say they were reminded that U.S. soybeans have an international reputation that can be easy to take for granted here at home.
October 28, 2025 11:28 AM
·
The review signals renewed scrutiny of China’s agricultural trade pledges and could reshape farm export opportunities depending on its outcome.
October 28, 2025 11:20 AM
·
