SELAH, Wash. — A mandated wage increase for Washington state blueberry pickers may cause one fruit company to end its harvest early.
The Capital Press reports that Zirkle Fruit Company of Selah says it may end its season early because of the 50% wage increase ordered by the U.S. Department of Labor.
A company attorney says in a lawsuit that the “unprecedented wage jump” would cause a “calamitous” increase in labor costs.
Zirkle Fruit says it will make a decision based on the outcome of an Aug. 29 hearing, where a federal judge will decide whether to uphold the increase.
The company says it produces about 10% of the state’s $139 million annual blueberry harvest.