Legal Battle Simmers Over Plan to Give Farmworkers Union Rights

Employer groups are signaling potential upcoming lawsuits over US Labor Department regulations that seek to expand organizing protections for farmworkers on temporary visas.

The proposal, released in September, would boost the rights of H-2A farmworkers to form unions and organize in the workplace despite their exemption from the National Labor Relations Act’s coverage. New protections include a clarification of termination “for cause,” a ban on “captive audience” meetings, and the ability for labor organizations to access worker housing.

The proposal, part of broader Biden administration efforts to promote workers’ ability to form unions, has been welcomed by labor advocates. But ...