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By Bob Larson

From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. The Worker and Farmer Labor Association, along with several agricultural groups, have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor to protect farmers from recently issued H-2A regulations.

WAFLA CEO Enrique Gastelum says this suit follows a recent ruling in Georgia that found in favor of agriculture in 17 states …

GASTELUM … “While my group that I’m, you know, WAFLA and several others are parties on, on this other suit. We also want to call out the unconstitutionality of this and the impact on the other 33 states, but we also felt it was important in our complaint in motion to call out some of the other provisions which were not addressed in the Georgia case.”

Gastelum says we’re all for protecting the workers, but …

GASTELUM … “This latest set of rules, not only being unconstitutional, they were creating all kinds of new rites and requirements that don’t exist in any other type of business. And so, we were like, okay, you are now going way too far.”

Simply put, Gastelum says it’s more government overreach …

GASTELUM … “And it actually extended provisions of the National Labor Relations Act which do not currently exist for farmworkers. But DOL took it upon themselves to say well, we think they should have these rites and privileges so we’re just going to do it through rulemaking, which no you’re acting like Congress, you’re not acting like a federal agency.”

Tune in tomorrow for when WAFLA expects a ruling of some kind.