Sen. Talbot Ross bill to establish minimum wage for farmworkers signed into law by Gov. Mills
AUGUSTA — On June 10, Gov. Mills signed into law legislation from Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, that will establish a state minimum wage for agricultural workers — a class of workers historically excluded from Maine’s wage and hour laws. LD 589, “An Act to Establish a State Minimum Hourly Wage for Agricultural Workers,” will guarantee that farmworkers are paid at least the state minimum wage beginning in 2026, with automatic yearly adjustments tied to the cost of living.
“This is a huge milestone in advancing farmworkers’ civil rights and for the generations whose labor has put food on our tables and sustained Maine’s communities,” said Sen. Talbot Ross. “For years, farmworkers, farmers, lawmakers and advocates have worked tirelessly to right this historic wrong. This bill being signed into law is transformational, and our fight does not end here. Farmworkers in Maine should have the same full rights and protections as every other worker in this state — because dignity should never depend on your job title.”
“After three years of work on this policy, I’m glad this basic protection for farmworkers will finally become law,” said Sen. Mike Tipping, Senate Chair of the Labor Committee. “Mainers working on farms are putting food on all our tables. Making sure they always make at least the minimum wage is the least we should do to recognize them and the vital work they do.”
Maine’s current labor laws do not guarantee agricultural workers a state minimum wage, leaving them legally vulnerable to being paid as little as the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour — a rate that has not changed since 2009 and falls far short of meeting basic living costs.
LD 589 builds upon years of legislative effort to address these inequities. Similar proposals were considered in LD 1022 in the 130th Legislature and LD 398 in the 131st Legislature, helping lay the groundwork for this session’s compromise language. The amended version of LD 589 replaces the original bill with a focused measure to establish a state minimum wage for farmworkers, indexed to inflation.
The exclusion of farmworkers from basic labor protections dates back to the New Deal era, when federal lawmakers deliberately left agricultural and domestic workers out of landmark labor laws in order to appease segregationist lawmakers. That exclusion has persisted for nearly a century and continues to disproportionately affect Black, brown, Latino and Indigenous workers today.
Having been signed by the Governor, LD 588 will take effect 90 days after the Second Regular Session of the Legislature adjourns sine die.
A second bill from Sen. Talbot Ross, LD 588, has passed the House and Senate and is now on the Governor’s desk. It would protect farmworkers from being fired, disciplined or retaliated against for engaging in concerted activity — that is, when workers come together to talk about their wages, working conditions or how to make their jobs fairer and safer.
Right now, farmworkers in Maine can legally be punished or even fired for something as simple as asking a coworker how much they’re being paid or discussing unsafe conditions in the field. LD 588 would change that, ensuring farmworkers have the same right to speak up together as other workers already do under the law.
Sen. Talbot Ross is serving her first term in the Maine Senate, representing part of her hometown of Portland and Peaks Island. She serves as the Senate Chair of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee and sits on the Judiciary Committee.