An act relating to collective bargaining for agricultural workers

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Conor Casey and 10 co-sponsors

The bill extends Vermont’s State Labor Relations Act to include agricultural workers, enabling them to engage in collective bargaining starting July 1, 2025.

Read first time and referred to the Committee on General and Housing

Overview

H.333 is a Vermont bill introduced for the 2025-2026 session that would extend collective bargaining rights to agricultural workers. The bill amends definitions under the State Labor Relations Act to clarify that agricultural workers are included in the scope of employees who may engage in collective bargaining, subject to the provisions of the act. The act is set to take effect July 1, 2025.

Purpose and intent

Provide collective bargaining rights to agricultural workers in Vermont.

Align the treatment of agricultural workers with other covered employees under the state labor relations framework.

Establish a clear statutory basis to organize, bargain collectively, and address labor disputes among agricultural workers and employers.

Key provisions

Definition change: Section 1 amends 21 V.S.A. § 1502 (Definitions) to address who qualifies as an “employee” for purposes of the State Labor Relations Act.

The definition clarifies that employees are not limited to workers of a particular employer unless stated otherwise.
It adds or references exclusions and inclusions to determine who is considered an employee, with specific note that certain categories are excluded (e.g., independent contractors, supervisors, employees of certain rail employers, and others as defined under the statute).
Importantly for this bill, the intent is to ensure agricultural workers are covered by the act and thus eligible to engage in collective bargaining, subject to the defined exceptions.

Effective date: The act takes effect July 1, 2025.

Note: The text provided focuses on expanding who is considered an employee for purposes of collective bargaining and explicitly indicates inclusion or exclusion criteria relevant to agricultural workers within the broader employee definition.

Affected parties

Agricultural workers in Vermont (potential union organizers, members seeking collective bargaining rights, and workers in farm-related employment).

Employers of agricultural workers (e.g., farms and agricultural businesses) who would be subject to collective bargaining processes once the workers organize or seek bargaining rights.

Labor relations authorities and unions seeking to organize agricultural workers under Vermont’s State Labor Relations Act.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction and referrals:

Introduced by a group of House representatives and referred to the House Committee on General and Housing.
First reading occurred on February 25, 2025.

Legislative process milestones:

Bill will be considered by the General and Housing Committee, with potential revisions and hearings as the committee progresses.

Effective date:

If enacted, the bill’s provisions become effective on July 1, 2025.

Potential impact (high-level)

Legal clarity: Establishes explicit inclusion of agricultural workers within the scope of the State Labor Relations Act, enabling collective bargaining rights where applicable.

Labor relations landscape: Could lead to the formation of agricultural worker unions or bargaining units and new negotiation dynamics between farm employers and workers.

Compliance considerations: Farms and agricultural employers may need to review labor practices, wage and benefit discussions, and dispute resolution processes to align with collective bargaining frameworks if workers pursue organizing.

If you’d like, I can add context on how similar provisions have been implemented in other states or provide a draft section-by-section analysis once more text becomes available.