Washington tree fruit industry to have its day in Olympia – Good Fruit Grower

As they do yearly, tree fruit growers and trade officers will go to Olympia subsequent week to bend the ear of Washington lawmakers on points they think about important.This yr, bargaining rights for hashish employees, unemployment for hanging workers and a seasonal reprieve from additional time mandates are amongst their considerations.Tuesday, Jan. 28, is the annual Tree Fruit Day on the Capitol constructing in Olympia. Organized by the Washington State Tree Fruit Affiliation, the principle advocacy group for the state’s tree fruit trade, the occasion brings teams of growers and affiliation workers to fan out throughout the campus and plead their circumstances.There’s nonetheless time to hitch the contingency for the journey, stated Jon DeVaney, WSTFA president. For extra info or to register, go to: https://wstfa.org/tree-fruit-day.Check out just a few of the recent tree fruit subjects on this yr’s legislative session:—Senate Invoice 5041 would enable hanging or locked-out employees to gather unemployment advantages. WSTFA opposes the invoice, arguing it could drive up the price of the state’s already costly unemployment profit packages and encourage strikes, which might be significantly dangerous to tree fruit growers coping with a perishable product.—Home Invoice 1141 would lengthen collective bargaining rights to hashish employees. WSTFA opposes, calling it a primary step towards extending bargaining to all farmworkers within the state. Federal regulation exempts farm work from many labor rights of different jobs, together with collective cut price. Washington’s hashish trade is regulated solely by the state and remains to be prohibited below federal regulation.—Home Invoice 1597 would create a seasonality clause to the state’s additional time regulation. WSTFA helps the invoice, which might enable growers to carve out 12 weeks of peak exercise to pay time-and-a-half for work past 50 hours, as an alternative of the 40-hour cap presently required year-round.—WSTFA is asking lawmakers to protect $30 million that was put aside to reimburse farmers who’ve paid the gasoline surcharge below the Local weather Dedication Act, which promised to exempt on-farm gasoline.—WSTFA helps full legislative funding for a number of Washington State College agricultural analysis requests, together with $10 million for a brand new plant development facility on the Wenatchee Tree Fruit Analysis and Extension Heart.—WSTFA helps full funding of Washington State Division of Agriculture’s $2.5 million request, which incorporates funding to proceed the affiliation’s Agricultural Management Program.For many who can’t attend the occasion, DeVaney encourages members to join WSTFA’s e mail updates, which give directions for the right way to signal on professional or con for a invoice on-line.—by Ross Courtney



Source link