Should farms conform to labor laws?

During the State Senate’s epic special session/stand-off earlier this month, one of the many bills that never made it to the floor was the Farmworkers Omnibus Labor Bill. It would, among other things, require New York farmers to pay overtime and force a scheduled day-off.

The debate is really fascinating. (Here’s a pro- and con-, among the hundreds you can find online.) It really comes down to this: is small-time farming substantially different from other kinds of work? Farms are unique in that they’re exempted from various kinds of labor and environmental laws.

News 10 Now recently had a debate between two principals in this issue – Julie Suarez of New York Farm Bureau vs. Jordan Wells of Justice for Farmworkers. (Hat tip to Jude Seymour.)

What do you think? Are farms special workplaces that require special protections? Or should farmers shape up and conform to rules every other business has to deal with?