California bill targets faster overtime for ag workers  Hoard's
Dairyman:   California bill targets faster overtime for ag
workers  Fri, 06/18/2010  Because it’s the biggest agricultural
state in the U.S. and a frequent trendsetter on political and
social issue, farmers across the country may want to keep their
eyes on an agricultural overtime pay bill that may become law in
California.  By a vote of 23-12, the State Senate on June 3
approved Senate Bill 1121 to eliminate a 69-year-old exemption
for farmworkers and put them under the same overtime rules as
other hourly employees in the state, thereby making them
entitled to extra pay after working fewer hours than is
currently the case. The measure must next be voted upon by the
State Legislature, where passage is also expected. It then would
go to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for final approval.
Currently, farmworkers in California are eligible for overtime
pay if they work more than 10 hours in a workday or more than 60
hours in a workweek. However, exis