The Sacramento Bee this morning has a story on yet another case of abuse under the H-2A program.  Two dozen guestworkers have sued a California farm labor contractor saying they were cheated out of wages, offered less work than originally promised and housed in filthy conditoins. California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) is representing the workers.

By the way, the New York Daily News has an excellent little editorial today praising Gov. Paterson for his outspoken support for equal labor rights for farmworkers. 

New York's harvest of shame

Gov. Paterson minces no words in declaring that New York farmworkers deserve the same labor rights as everyone else, including a 40-hour week, overtime pay, a day off per week and the right to organize and bargain collectively.

The other day, Paterson recalled his support as a legislator for full labor rights for field hands, and said growers "are running a system ... analogous to what it was in 1880."

He has no animus toward the state's growers, having approved $40 million in aid to them. But, he said, "We're going to come back and start talking to them about wages that were fought for in 1910." Way to go, gov.

"My feeling," said Paterson, "is that if [growers] want help from us, then they can get into the 21st century. ... If they are appalled that we're asking them to give workers a day off or let them have health coverage ... well, I'm sure the employers were appalled in the 19th century."

The Assembly is with Paterson, as are most senators, including the Senate Labor Committee. Majority Leader Dean Skelos needs to let the bill come to the floor. It's 100 years overdue.