Tips and resources for employers to comply with Oregon’s new heat illness prevention rules
The bottom line on agricultural overtime
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Oregon’s new law requiring overtime pay for agricultural workers went into effect January 1, 2023. If you are not already complying with the overtime requirements, you need to do so immediately! The law, enacted as House Bill 4002, establishes mandatory overtime pay for agricultural workers, with a four-year phase-in period: The law applies to “agriculture,” […]
Clean Water Act rulemaking review bears watching
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2020 rules under Trump remain in effect as the EPA works to overhaul discharge permitting process Section 401 of the Clean Water Act provides that a federal agency may not issue a permit or license to conduct any activity that could result in a discharge into waters of the United States unless a Section 401 […]
Understanding the new climate rules
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Oregon’s new climate protection program is expected to increase certain business costs On December 16, 2021, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) voted to approve the Climate Protection Program (CPP). The CPP, codified in Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 340, Division 271, joins other Oregon climate-focused rules, including the Clean Trucks Program and Clean Fuels Program. […]
Sitting at the virtual table
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During spring 2021, I spent my final semester of law school as legal extern with Jordan Ramis PC. This gave me a chance to spend focused time working on the OAN Government Relations (GR) Team for the 2021 session of the Oregon Legislature. For 13 weeks starting on January 11, I shadowed OAN Executive Director […]
Rationality is our friend
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The COVID-19 virus will most certainly impact families, friends and businesses. It is already causing tremendous disruption in the economy, not to mention knocking our daily lives off auto-pilot. In mid-March, I communicated with our membership the need to embrace that fear is not our friend — rationality is. We provided reliable resources people can […]
Protections for your selections
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Breeders and growers looking to protect their work have several available options There are a multitude of options for intellectual property (IP) protection for plants and plant-based inventions in the United States. A well-honed IP strategy can result in innovation and growth for just about any nursery stock producer, retailer, landscaper and related companies serving […]
H-2A for nurseries
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The guest worker program offers a labor option, but has its challenges Oregon nurseries are facing pressing labor shortages. Several have turned to mechanization, but the industry still needs human hands. In recent years, those hands have not been adequately available. Many nurseries are considering the H-2A temporary agricultural worker visa program as a potential […]