Snack World - May 2012 - 55

Government Affairs

Taking it to Capitol Hill
SFA tackles a packed agenda in Washington, DC.
BY BOB GATTY nack Food Association (SFA) members from across the nation visited with lawmakers on Capitol Hill during the association’s Legislative Summit May 15-17 in Washington, DC, to discuss several key legislative and regulatory issues. Among those on the front burner were the need to preserve choice for food stamp recipients, protect employee rights to a secret ballot in union elections and beat back organized labor’s efforts to limit the ability of companies to use independent contractors. “The Legislative Summit is a very important part of our government relations efforts,” said Jim McCarthy, SFA president and CEO. “It allows our members to meet personally with lawmakers and key legislative staff members and discuss legislative and regulatory issues that can have a direct impact on their businesses. SFA certainly appreciates the time and effort of all those members who participate.” Headlining the list of SFA’s concerns is the potential of any revision of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would limit the choice of foods that can be purchased by participants in what previously was known as the food stamp program.

Mr. McCarthy explained that as Congress develops the 2012 Farm Bill, threats have arisen at the federal level in the form of proposed studies on food choices and potential bans on certain categories of foods, including snack foods, as well as at the state level in the form of requests for US Department of Agriculture waivers to restrict certain SNAP purchases. He said SFA opposes efforts such as S 2016, introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden, which would allow states to limit the purchase of what they deem to be unhealthy food by SNAP recipients. ON THE LABOR FRONT. Two key labor issues are also on SFA’s agenda. SFA is working closely with industry allies to protect member companies from efforts to limit their ability to use independent contractors to supplement their workforces and preserve appropriate overtime exemptions. The Obama administration, Mr. McCarthy said, continues to place a high priority on weeding out what it considers widespread “misclassification” of workers as independent contractors and abuse of overtime exemptions. According to Mr. McCarthy, during the past two years, Department of Labor investigations and enforcement actions have grown more

aggressive and demanding, as the agency has taken the lead in filing lawsuits against employers rather than waiting for actions by individual plaintiffs. At the same time, he added, a number of states are targeting firms using independent contractors as a means to add workers’ compensation and other tax revenues to help bolster depleted state coffers. Legislation was recently introduced in New York that would effectively make it impossible for anyone who is a commercial driver to be considered an independent contractor for purposes of state workforce rules. “SFA opposes any governmental actions that would place unnecessary and unreasonable burdens on employment practices of member companies,” Mr. McCarthy said. “We want to preserve the ability of employers to use independent contractors in appropriate circumstances and preserve appropriate overtime exemptions.” The second major labor issue of concern to SFA is the continuing effort by organized labor and its supporters in Congress to make it much easier for unions to organize employees of individual companies. Previous efforts to enact the Employee Free Choice Act, which would have
www.sfa.org May 2012 Snack World 55

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Snack World - May 2012

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