New York's harvest of shame

That is the headline on an editorial which the New York Daily News wrote in support of New York's farmworkers.

Gov. Paterson minces no words in declaring that New York farmworkers deserve the same labor rights as everyone else, including a 40-hour week, overtime pay, a day off per week and the right to organize and bargain collectively.

The other day, Paterson recalled his support as a legislator for full labor rights for field hands, and said growers "are running a system ... analogous to what it was in 1880."

He has no animus toward the state's growers, having approved $40 million in aid to them. But, he said, "We're going to come back and start talking to them about wages that were fought for in 1910." Way to go, gov.

Albany Catholic recommends that you read the entire editorial, which is available here.