Business Group Swayed Survey on Farm Worker Pay, State Officials Charge

State officials say a survey on wage rates for farm workers appeared to be influenced by a business group's "recommended answers" in an apparent attempt to keep standard minimum wages low.

The voluntary survey asked growers how and how much they pay workers for different tasks and different crops, such as piece-rate pay for harvest but hourly wages for pruning.

The Yakima Herald-Republic reported this week that the data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor to set wage rates for employment contracts, such as those for guest workers under the H-2A program.

The business group in question is the Washington Farm Labor Association -- the Lacey-based organization is the state's largest recruiter of H-2A guest workers, according to the Herald-Republic's story.