Hearings scheduled on agriculture minimum wage
TUMWATER - The Department of Labor & Industries will conduct two hearings in May for public comment on proposed rules revising the minimum wage for youths under 16 working in agriculture.
Washington Administrative Code already allows non-agriculture employers to pay 85 percent of the state minimum wage to workers under 16 years of age. A new provision would be added to Agriculture Rules for Minors to include that 85 percent provision, bringing agriculture in line with other employers.
The first public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 1 to 7 p.m. May 22 in the auditorium at the Labor & Industries building, 7273 Linderson Way, Tumwater. A second public hearing is scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m. May 23 at the Yakima School District Administration Offices, 104 N. Fourth Ave., Yakima.
A full copy of the proposal can be obtained by looking on the Internet at www.lni.wa.gov/scs/workstandards, or by calling 360-902-6411. Written comments on the proposal are due by May 23. They may be sent to Josh Swanson, P.O. Box 44400, Olympia, WA 98504-4400, or e-mailed to swaj235@lni.wa.gov. Comments also may be faxed to 360-902-5292 by the same deadline and must be 10 pages or less.
###
