Washington governor's debate: Ferguson, Reichert on farmworker protections

Published: Sep 10, 2024 Duration: 00:04:37 Category: News & Politics

Tags : news politics local ] [ state-politics

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Our next question comes from Gloria Ibanez, editor of El Sol de Yakima. We have her questions as you know, on videotape. This first question is focused on farm worker protections. Washington has a multi billion dollar agriculture industry and farm workers are vital to our state fruit harvest. A recent law give these workers over time though farmers and growers want the state to roll that back. Would you recommend changes to new farm worker overtime rules and worker protections? Mr Re? Yeah, I I agree that uh workers need to be paid fairly and uh and meeting with ranchers and farmers across the state. They have exactly the same feeling they want to pay their workers fairly and they want to treat them fairly. They want to create a great work environment. Um They uh are interested in negotiating. Obviously, I think the last attempt at at negotiating with workers in the state of Washington was to raise the weekly uh work hours to 50 hours and pay overtime for everything over 50 hours. And the reason for that is they have uh uh crops that need to be harvested in a certain amount of time. So I would look forward to working with the workers and the farmers together to find some agreement, some compromise and base our decision um on how we move forward with a fair treatment of workers on, on facts and, and bringing people together to talk about and work through these issues to find the final solution, Mr Ferguson. So I agree with Dave greater uh resources for farm workers, greater pay for, for farm workers. Something I agree with. There's a difference here in this race though. And that is that I've been specifically advocating for farm workers in my time as attorney general, I'm proud to be endorsed by the National United Farm Workers. So for example, when farm workers were mistreated here in Washington State, they turned to me and my team, we worked together to litigation against companies that mistreat them sometimes in very stark and inhumane ways. We didn't just prosecute those cases successfully. We won millions of dollars. What do you do with those millions of dollars? Put those dollars back in the pockets of farm workers. I've been to Central Washington and melt those farm workers. My team has met those farm workers, my kids, they're teenagers in high school. I communicate to them how important farm workers are to our economy, to putting food on the table. They participate in a summer program the last two summers where they meet with farm workers, they help out their kids while the farm workers in the fields to get exposed to what folks do in our society who do some of the most difficult work that few people want to do. That makes a huge impact on all Washingtonians. So there will be no greater friend to farm workers when I'm elected governor than me. My record proves it. I look forward to advocating for them when I'm their governor. Thank you. Could I add something to that? Yes. Ok. Yeah, it won't take that long. Um I, I would like to point out too that I was a supporter of DACA and Dreamers when I was in Congress. So um I wanna make sure that those people that have come uh to Washington State from other countries uh that they're treated fairly that they have an opportunity to move forward in our, in our community that are so critical to the businesses and the farms that we operate here in Washington State. I want to make sure that they have a pathway to citizenship and they can build their families and their, and their family businesses here in Washington State. And I'd like to respond to that because uh this is important for farm workers and all Washington to here, Dave. You said you were lying about Donald Trump that I quote you saying I love Donald Trump's policies. You tried to correct me and say no, I said I like some of them. No, you're incorrect. Folks can go to that website record veiled there is audio of you, Dave saying I love Donald Trump's policies and I can assure you Donald Trump's policies and his behavior is the antithesis of what farm workers are fighting for in our state. His policies would have harmed farm workers and too many communities of color all across our state and all across our country. I know this congressman because I fought against Donald Trump. I beat him in court over 50 times to protect our environment, to protect our rights and defend our freedoms. Yer said, I love Donald Trump's policies. Our stark difference could not be more. 15 seconds, 15 seconds, Bob. That's not true. I do agree with some of Mr Trump's policies. I've explained those, uh, agreements. Um, you're not being truthful. Uh, please be truthful and you're obsessed with Donald Trump. I've moved past that. I'm focused on the problems here in Washington State. Thank you both.

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