New York farm workers win major court victory as appeals court decides law exempting them from
New York farm workers win major court victory as appeals court decides law exempting them from organizing rights violates state constitution
ALBANY A New York appeals court handed farm workers a long-sought victory Thursday, ruling that a 1938 labor law preventing farmhands in the state from organizing is unconstitutional.
The decision follows a decades-long fight for basic labor and human rights for farm workers as advocates and allies sought protections that virtually all other workers in the state have, including the right to collective bargaining, overtime pay and a day of rest.
In a 4-1 decision, the judges ruled that farm workers can not be excluded from a section of the state constitution guaranteeing the right to organize.
First and foremost, we find the language of the constitutional provision to be significant, Justice Christine Clark wrote in the majority opinion, noting that the exclusion of individuals employed as farm laborers from the definition of the term employees ... is unconstitutional.
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https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-farm-workers-win-major-lawsuit-20190523-bvpd4doaufdkvovk7mf3pu6xga-story.html