August 28, 2024
www.gfb.org
Vol. 6 No. 16
FARMERS RECEIVE TIPS AND RESOURCES AT AG LABOR RELATIONS FORUM By Jay Stone, Georgia Farm Bureau The 2024 Georgia Ag Labor Relations Forum, held Aug. 20 and 21 in Tifton, offered tips on a variety of labor-related topics, from recruitment of foreign laborers to wage and payroll requirements and worker safety practices. The event, held at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center, was organized by the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and sponsored in part by Georgia Farm Bureau. “It's our opportunity once a year to meet face-to-face because people like us who do care a lot about farming, we want it to be right and we love our workers,” said Courtney Griffin of Southern Valley Farms in Colquitt County. “We couldn't do what we do without our workers. “We're not here to hurt people or mistreat them. We want it to be good for them because giving them good conditions and them being healthy increases our production on the farm and it brings in more revenue for us, to where the business is sustainable. Yes, there's bad players in the industry, but there's more of us that want to do a good job and are doing an excellent job.” Recruiting challenges Dan Chapman of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) reviewed some common mistakes that can cause problems for H-2A employers. WHD, Chapman said, urges employers who use H-2A laborers to comply with the program’s rules regarding recruitment, pay and expense reimbursement. WHD’s program includes outreach and education, providing technical assistance when employers request it, and, of course, enforcement. Chapman emphasized that employers need to be aware of how the concept of corresponding employment applies on farms that use H-2A laborers. Corresponding employment refers to non H-2A workers who are hired for the same job functions and on the same work contract as H-2A workers. The domestic workers are entitled to the same pay and benefits and must be hired according to the same standards as H-2A workers. For example, “if you offer an end-of-season bonus to your H-2A workers, you’ve got to make sure that you're offering at least that same bonus in the same terms to workers who are in corresponding employment,” Chapman said. Chapman gave the example of a job listing that includes an experience requirement. If, for -continued on next page