A free webinar supported by the Specialty Crop Research Initiative 2020 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture will be held on Nov. 4, entitled “Adjacent Land Use: Done Talking About It? Ready To Do Something?”

Dr. Trevor Suslow, Extension Research Specialist Emeritus at the University of California, Davis Department of Plant Sciences, will be featured during the webinar, which will include a one-hour presentation and 30 minute Q&A session. The webinar will start at 12:30 p.m. PT.

The webinar is open to all; registration is required and can be done here. The webinar is part of the CONTACT Food Safety Webinar Series. For more information on CONTACT, please visit https://contactproducesafety.ifas.ufl.edu/

On October 20, 2021, the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) posted a Food Safety Alert for a Salmonella outbreak linked to onions. The CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) epidemiologic and traceback data shows that illnesses in this outbreak are linked to whole red, white and yellow onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico. Investigators are working to determine if other onions are linked to this outbreak.

As of today, there are 652 total infections from the outbreak strain Salmonella Oranienburg with 129 illnesses resulting in hospitalization across 37 states. No deaths have been reported. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 31, 2021, to September 30, 2021. The CDC and the FDA recommend that you not eat, sell or serve fresh whole red, white or yellow onions that were imported from Chihuahua, Mexico.

The distributor of these onions has agreed to voluntarily recall red, yellow and white onions imported from the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, with import dates from July 1, 2021, through August 27, 2021. Descriptors of these onion types include, but are not limited to, jumbo, colossal, medium and sweet onions.

More details will be released as the investigation continues. If you have any questions or comments regarding this outbreak, please reach out to [email protected]. 

CDC Outbreak Webpage
FDA Outbreak Webpage

Employers are required to pay all nonexempt employees in compliance with state, federal and local wage and hour laws. This section provides an overview of applicable state, federal and local laws governing the payment of wages and overtime pay.

Minimum Wage
State minimum wage rates differ but are higher than the federal minimum wage. Employers must keep in mind that local minimum wage rates may exceed state minimums. In all cases, employers are required to pay the higher of any applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage. Non-exempt employees must be at least a minimum wage for all hours worked including all hours designated as overtime. The following minimum wage rates will take effect on January 1, 2022.

• California: $15.00 per hour (Applies to employers with 26 or more employees. Employers in California with 25 or fewer employees will have a minimum wage of $14.00 per hour.)
• Arizona: $12.90 per hour
• Colorado: TBD
• New Mexico: TBD

Click the link for a list of City and County minimum wage rates.

Overtime or premium pay is required under federal, state, and local wage and hours laws for all hours worked over a specifically mandated number of workweeks or workdays. Employers should become familiar with their state and local minimum wage rates, effective dates, and projected increase dates.

Specific to California Agricultural Employers
California Wage Orders issued by the state’s Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC Orders) govern various wage and hour issues such as wages earned, hours of work, working conditions, rest and meal periods, overtime, uniforms and equipment, minimum wage, mandatory day off, and reporting time pay. IWC Orders are similar to federal statues, but with important distinctions. Each IWC Order is broken down by industry or occupation. Three specific IWC Orders relate specifically to agricultural employees:

• IWC Order #14: Applies to employees involved in farming activities up through harvest (e.g., employees working for growers, farm labor contractors or an agricultural service company).
• IWC Order #13: Applies to employees involved in preparation of products for market which are performed on the farm for the farmer’s own crop.
• IWC Order #8: Applies to industries handling products after harvest (e.g, packing houses, wineries, etc.).
• IWC Order #4: Applies to agricultural employees in clerical and professional occupations if there is no industry order in effect.

Upcoming Changes
In addition to Labor Code and IWC Order wage and hour protections California enacted major changes to overtime provisions for agricultural employers under Wage Order 14. The new overtime provisions have been phased in over the past several years with the last projected change occurring for large employers January 1, 2022 and small employers January 1, 2025.  For large employers (26 or more), overtime will kick in after 8 hours in a day and 40 hours in a week.  For small employers (25 or fewer), the phase-in of 9.5 hours in a day and 55 hours in a week begins January 1. Visit the California Department of Industrial Relations’ website for  a schedule of upcoming changes and important FAQs.