Leo Morales leads a student demonstration at the Boise State University Student Union last August. And though an interim committee studied the issue this summer and approved draft legislation, farmworker advocates promise to continue the fight this winter. Depending on the time of year, between about 16,000 and 33,000 hired hands are working in the fields of Idaho farms.
Advocates say if one does, that's too many.
Others counter that the market should decide wages, and that the state would only contribute to driving farmers out of business by adding more regulations. Phil Batt and his legislative allies finally forced through a bill that required farmers to provide workers' compensation insurance for their employees. It was a big victory for farmworkers and their advocates, but they quickly turned to the minimum wage fight, which they've struggled with ever since. After killing the idea quickly two years in a row, the Legislature created an interim committee last winter. That group met this summer and arrived at a contentious decision that split the committee down party lines.