Listen to or read the original article on the Ag Information Network

By Bob Larson

From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. A lawsuit from WAFLA and other Ag groups has been filed against the U.S. Department of Labor for new H-2A regulations they say go too far.

I asked WAFLA CEO Enrique Gastelum when he expects any movement on the lawsuit …

GASTELUM … “The judge, last week, within one day, less than 24 hours of both of us filing our motions for preliminary injunction, has already scheduled a hearing for November the 4th in Lexington, Kentucky.”

Which is great, Gastelum says because farmers could really use some good news …

GASTELUM … “In just my one-on-one and group conversations with farmers, they’re just saying, look, I just need a break right now. Something, I need something to break my way. It seems like, particularly in the last four’ish, five years it has just been piling on and there’s a lot of stress in the industry. And the community just needs a break.”

This suit, Gastelum says is similar to other current cases …

GASTELUM … “There’s four going on right now in different courts. It’s going to be interesting to see if the parties, a judge, or DOL comes together and says can we put these all-in-one court since they’re all arguing similar or unique circumstances. But I think the crux of it is that so that’s going to be a very interesting thing to watch as that plays out.”

Again, that’s Enrique Gastelum, CEO of WAFLA, the Worker and Farmer Labor Association.