Nisei Farmers League v. Cal. Labor & Workforce Dev. Agency

**What happened:** The Nisei Farmers League, representing agricultural employers, sued California's Labor & Workforce Development Agency to challenge a state law (Labor Code section 226.2) that requires employers to pay piece-rate workers for non-productive time. Piece-rate workers are typically paid based on how much they produce (like picking a certain number of boxes of fruit) rather than by the hour. The new law required employers to also pay these workers for time spent on tasks that don't directly produce results, such as attending safety meetings or waiting for equipment. The employers argued this law was unconstitutional, claiming it was too vague and unfairly applied to past conduct. **What the court decided:** Both the trial court and appeals court sided with the state agency. The courts ruled that the piece-rate wage law is constitutional and not too vague for employers to understand and follow. They rejected the employers' challenges completely. **Why this matters for workers:** This decision protects piece-rate workers, especially in agriculture, by ensuring they get paid for all their work time, not just when they're actively producing. The ruling strengthens wage protections and confirms that employers must compensate workers fairly for all required work activities, even those that don't directly result in measurable output.