“Passage of the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act is a devastating blow to an already struggling New York state farm industry,” said Morinello. “During harvest seasons, our farmers pay employees a living wage along with food, medical, transportation and housing until they relocate to harvest the next crop. This bill will interfere with this system that was explicitly put in place due to the uniqueness of the industry.

“Long-term, I fear this bill will force many farmers out of business and leave thousands of farm workers without sufficient employment opportunities. It’s disappointing that downstate members of the Majority pushed this bill through without considering the harm it could cause, and I’m hopeful the governor will reconsider before signing it into law.”