Agricultural Worker Labor and Employment Laws Study Committee

The Agricultural Worker Labor and Employment Laws Study Committee was created by 2024, Act 117 (S.102), Sec. 3 to examine the application of Vermont’s labor relations and employment laws to agricultural workers in Vermont and to identify potential legislative action to provide additional coverage to agricultural workers under those laws.

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Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

10:15 AM

Call to Order and Committee Organization

Elect Chair and Vice Chair; Overview of committee charge and duties

• Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

10:45 AM

Overview of Employment Rights for Agricultural Workers in Vermont

• Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

11:10 AM

Break

11:20 AM

Overview of Employment Rights for Agricultural Workers in Vermont

Continued

• Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

12:20 PM

Lunch

1:30 PM

Overview of Collective Bargaining Law

• Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

3:00 PM

Committee Discussion

Next meeting date; future planning

3:15 PM

Adjourn

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Friday, September 20, 2024

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

10:00 AM

Overview of H-2A Use in Vermont

• Steve Collier, General Counsel, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
  
• Alyson Eastman, Deputy Secretary, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
  

11:00 AM

Break

11:10 AM

Overview of Farm and Labor Statistics for Vermont

• Jackie Folsom, President, Vermont Farm Bureau
  
• Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

12:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 PM

Overview of Agricultural Collective Bargaining Laws in Other States

• Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

2:00 PM

Break

2:10 PM

Overview of Vermont Labor Board

• Judith Dillon, Executive Director, Labor Relations Board
  

3:00 PM

Committee Discussion

Next meeting

3:30 PM

Adjourn

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Friday, October 11, 2024

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

10:00 AM

Overview of Migrant Justice | Justicia Migrante

Collective bargaining for farmworkers

• Jose Ignacio De La Cruz, Member, Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante
  
• Will Lambek, Organizer, Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante
  
• Abel Luna, Member, Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante
  

11:00 AM

Break

11:15 AM

Migrant Justice | Justicia Migrante

Continued discussion

• Yesenia Hernández, Member, Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante
  
• Will Lambek, Organizer, Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante
  
• Salatiel Perez, Member, Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante
  

12:00 PM

Lunch

1:15 PM

Overview of Vermont Farm Bureau

Collective bargaining for farmworkers

• Glenn Card, President and Farmer, Chittenden County Farm Bureau
  
• Jackie Folsom, President, Vermont Farm Bureau
  
• Deanna Fox, Chief Executive Officer, New York Farm Bureau
  
• Kim Skellie, Board Executive, New York Farm Bureau
  
• Maureen Torrey, Director, Board of National Council of Agricultural Employees
  

2:15 PM

Break

2:25 PM

Massachusetts Collective Bargaining and Labor Law

• Philip Roberts, Director, Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations
  

3:00 PM

Vermont Definition of Agriculture

Issues and options

• Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
  
• Sophie Zdatny, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

3:35 AM

Adjourn

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Friday, November 15, 2024

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Meeting Record

10:00 AM

Review and Discussion

• Sophie Zdatny, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

10:10 AM

State-by-State Agricultural Employment Laws

• Sophie Zdatny, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

10:30 AM

Collective Bargaining and Employment Rights for Farmworkers

• Brian Carpenter, Chair, Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance
  
• Jane Clifford, Dairy Producer, Clifford Farm, LLC
  
• Eli Hersh, Farmer, Honey Field Farm
  
• Mark Hughes, Executive Director, Co-Chair, Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, Health Equity Advisory Commission
  
• Maddie Kempner, Policy & Organizing Director, NOFA VT
  
• Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
  
• Richard Nelson, Co-owner, Nelson Farms, Derby, VT
  

12:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 PM

Committee Discussion

Future Report to Legislature

• Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel
  
• Sophie Zdatny, Office of Legislative Counsel
  

3:30 PM

Adjourn

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