Minimum Pay Asked For Farm Workers

Some Idaho farm workers earn as little as $1 per hour, two House Democrats say.

They want to extend Idaho’s $5.15 per hour minimum wage law to farm workers, who can number up to 36,000.

“Some farm workers are covered by the federal minimum wage law and others receive the minimum wage or more because farm owners choose to pay it,” Rep. Ken Robison, D-Boise, said Monday. “But many work for less and there are reports of farm workers earning as little as $1 per hour.”

Robison and Rep. Pat Bieter, D-Boise, introduced the proposal as a personal bill on Monday. Bieter said a national survey shows farm workers average $6,500 per year, one-third of the income of all Idaho residents.

Farm workers are the largest group presently excluded from the state minimum wage law. Others include domestic workers, executive and professionals, outside salesmen, certain seasonal employees and children under age 16 who work less than four hours per day.