@article{Maloney:121569,
      recid = {121569},
      author = {Maloney, Thomas R. and Bills, Nelson L.},
      title = {Survey of New York Dairy Farm Employers 2009},
      address = {2011-03},
      number = {640-2016-42828},
      series = {Research Bulletin},
      pages = {45},
      year = {2011},
      abstract = {The purpose of this study is to gather information from  fruit, vegetable and dairy farm
employers regarding  agricultural workforce issues in New York agriculture. The  survey
provides new insights into five key topic areas; the  number of workers on New York
farms, employee wages and  benefits, characteristics of the Hispanic workforce,  attitudes
among farm operators regarding proposed State  labor law changes and Federal
immigration reform.
The  agricultural workforce for fruit, vegetable and dairy farms  in New York including
part-time and full-time workers  totaled 33,200. The focus of this report is on the  dairy
industry where the number of hired dairy employees is  estimated to be 9,600.
Dairy farm employers reported that  experienced general laborers were paid an average of
$9.98  per hour and experienced milkers were paid an average of  $9.71. Dairy employers
also reported salary ranges for  hired managers. They reported that 8% of middle
managers  and 38% of top-level managers earn salaries of $50,000 or  more annually.
Hispanic workers play an increasingly  important role in the New York dairy industry.
The survey  found that there are 2,600 Hispanic dairy workers in the  State. Regarding
their Hispanic workers, dairy farm  employers reported that the two issues requiring the
most  assistance were immigration issues and language skills.
At  the time the survey was conducted, New York’s labor  advocates and farm employers
were debating legislation that  would have required farm employers to provide their
workers  overtime pay and collective bargaining rights. The majority  of dairy farmers
surveyed indicated that they would be very  concerned if their workers were allowed to
form unions and  if they were required to pay overtime.
Regarding Federal  immigration reform, survey participants were asked to rate  the
importance of national immigration reform, a path to  citizenship and a guest worker
program to their business.  While all three issues were important to farm managers, a  path
to citizenship was reported to be less important than  national immigration reform or a
guest worker program.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/121569},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.121569},
}