Obama yanks underage farm labor rule

The Power of Grass Roots: Obama Administration Pulls Overbearing Proposed Rules on Child Labor
By Oregon Farm Bureau Federation

The US Department of Labor issued a statement withdrawing a proposed rule dealing with children who work on farms and ranches.

“This is an enormous win for family farmers and ranchers across Oregon and the nation. Our success here today is due to the hard work and dedication of thousands of Oregon farming families who submitted comments and helped to protect our way of life from misguided bureaucrats,” said Barry Bushue, Oregon Farm Bureau President.

Last year thousands of farm and ranch families submitted comments opposing proposed standards for child labor on farm and ranches. In many cases the rules would have prevented family members from working on farms in summer months.

The statement, issued today, reads, “The Obama Administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations.   The Obama Administration is also deeply committed to listening and responding to what Americans across the country have to say about proposed rules and regulations. As a result, the Department of Labor is announcing today the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations.  The decision to withdraw this rule – including provisions to define the ‘parental exemption’ – was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms.  To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama Administration.  Instead, the Departments of Labor and Agriculture will work with rural stakeholders – such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H – to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices.”

Thank you for helping to protect our farming heritage by defeating this egregious proposal.


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