Session #96 · 1979–81

Speech #960305894

That the act applied only to independent farm labor contractors. or crew leaders. was clearly established by both the legislative history and by adding specific exemptions for farmers and other agricultural employers. including their employees. It appears now. that the Department of Labor has been requiring farmers and other agricultural employers to register as farm labor contractors or be subject to civil and criminal penalties. The Departments actions have left migrant farmworkers with little or no protection from those independent crew leaders who continue to engage in exploitive practices. The Departments actions. Mr. Speaker. appear to be based solely on its own interpretations. One example. which may have been pointed out. is the fact that the Department of Labor defines the term "migrant worker" as anyone employed in agriculture. By this definition even members of the farm family. if on the payroll. could be considered migrant workers. The same definition would also apply to high school students and teachers who are often temporarily employed in many areas during the summer months. The same is true for year around and seasonal employees who reside on the farm or in nearby communities.
Keywords matched
migrant

Classification

Target group
Sentiment
Negative
Stereotyping
No
Confidence
90%
Model
gemini-2.0-flash
Framing
Economic contributor Legal / procedural

Speaker & context

Speaker
WES WATKINS
Party
D
Chamber
H
State
OK
Gender
M
Date
Speech ID
960305894
Paragraph
#0
← Prev Next →