New Mexico's Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Worker's Compensation For Farm Workers

By Mónica Ortiz Uribe
June 30, 2016
Mónica Ortiz Uribe
An employee prepares to milk cows at Big Sky dairy south of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Agricultural workers in New Mexico are now entitled to worker's compensation after a ruling on Thursday by the state Supreme Court.

New Mexico was one of 16 states that didn't require worker's compensation for farm and ranch laborers. State Supreme Court justices ruled 4-1 that denying those workers such protection was unconstitutional. The decision upheld an earlier ruling by the state's Court of Appeals involving an injured chile picker and a dairy worker.

"We're thrilled," said Gail Evans, legal director for the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. "It's been a long battle. But this is definitely a step in the right direction."

Attorneys for the agricultural industry argued requiring worker's compensation would be a financial burden on employers. Some farms and ranches in New Mexico already provide worker coverage voluntarily.