Agricultural Personnel Management Program
University of California

Farm Labor Contracting

Roughly 1/3 of hired workers in California agriculture overall (and 1/5 across the U.S.) are employees of Farm Labor Contractors.  As the importance of FLCs has grown, so has specific regulation of their relationships with employees, customers, and government. To operate lawfully in California, FLCs must be registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and licensed by the CA Department of Industrial Relations.  Among conditions for obtaining or renewing the state license is yearly participation in eight hours of relevant education classes approved by the State Labor Commissioner.  Before engaging the services of any FLC, a grower is required to verify that the contractor possesses a current license.
Compliance assistance
  • California FLC license verification
    • Online form can be used to request check on whether a person identified by either name or license number does in fact hold a valid license.  Labor Commissioner staff will respond promptly by email, fax, or postal mail with a confirmation number or negative finding.  Request may also be made by email or phone call to 559-248-1893 or 415-703-4854.
  • Licensed FLCs in California
    • Access to the searchable database of farm labor contractors currently licensed by the California Department of Industrial Relations.
  • Authorized providers of educational classes required for FLC license renewal
    • + Farm Labor Contractor Education Institute, 559-278-4405 -- brochure 2004-05 (pdf download)
    + Fresno City College Training Institute, 559-256-0188
    + Grower-Shipper Vegetable Association of SB & SLO Counties, 805/343-2215 -- reg. form (pdf)
  • California Labor Code
    • Sections pertaining to definition of FLC, license requirements, other obligations of FLCs and their customers, and enforcement.
  • Federal rules pertaining to FLCs
    • Regulations under the Migrant and Seasonal Agicultural Worker Protection Act.  Summary of the MSAWPA is also available.  Federal registration of an FLC may be verified via phone, 415-848-6600, and fax, 415-848-6655.
    Resources
  • Associations of Farm Labor Contractors and Custom Harvesters
    • Contact information for organizations that have formed in California to support professional development of labor contractors and improved public understanding of their roles within agricultural industry.
  • Sample contract between Grower and FLC
    • Adapted from an original by attorney Michael Hogan of Littler, Mendelson, Fastiff, Tichy, and Mathiason (Fresno).
  • Sample agreement to furnish farm labor
    • Prepared by Steve Sutter -- a 1-page pdf file.
  • Sample farm labor contracting service agreement
    • Provided by Robert Roy, Ventura County Agricultural Association.
    Other states
  • Basics on FLC licensing in Oregon
    • Definitions and procedures for certification of farm and reforestation labor contractors, as required by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI).
  • Farm Labor Contractor Registration and Testing in Florida
    • Section of the 2003 Handbook of Employment Regulations Affecting Florida Farm Employers and Workers, by Leo C. Polopolus, Fritz Roka, and Carol Fountain, University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service.
    Research
  • Farm Labor Contractors in California
    • Summary of APMP 1992 Survey Report to the California Employment Development Department.
  • Growers' Decisions to Hire Farm Labor Contractors and Custom Harvesters
    • Publication APMP001, by Suzanne Vaupel.  (pdf format, requires Acrobat Reader).
  • Directly Hiring Workers Versus Using Farm Labor Contractors
    • Publication APMP003, by Sabrina Isé, Jeffrey Perloff, Stephen Sutter, and Suzanne Vaupel.  (pdf format, requires Acrobat Reader).
  • An Analysis of Contract Relationships between Farm Labor Contractors and Farmers in California Agriculture
    • Publication APMP004, by Dawn Thilmany and edited by Carole Frank Nuckton. (pdf format, requires Acrobat Reader).
  • More than an IRCA Offshoot: Growth of Labor Contracting in California Agriculture
    • Working Paper, 693, Dept. of Agricultural & Resource Economics, by Howard Rosenberg.  (pdf format, requires Acrobat Reader).
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