NY farmers rally in Albany over proposed overtime pay changes

ALBANY, N.Y. (WNYT/WHEC) — Farmers from across New York State rallied in Albany Wednesday over overtime pay.

They said they’re worried about the state’s plan to lower the threshold that workers start receiving overtime pay from 60 hours to the standard 40.

The Farm Laborers Wage Board hasn’t made the change yet, but it will be making the decision soon.

Peter Ten Eyck of Indian Ladder Farms said if the threshold is lowered, it could be a death knell for the industry.

"I gotta tell you that there’s not enough profit or margins to be able to do that in the industry," Ten Eyck said. "We’re gonna lose farms, the weaker ones first and then the big one will hit when younger people will no longer go into farming because there’s no money in it."

A stack of 200 letters from farmers in New York State was also delivered to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office and the Wage Board asking them not to change the threshold.