The agricultural wage survey reports for Washington state have been reviewed and the prevailing wage determinations are as follows:

Wage Reporting Area: CH-53-06 Eastern Washington

• Apples - Pink Lady, Harvest... $20.00 per bin (47 x 47 x 24.5)


• Apples - Braeburn, Harvest... $15.50 per bin (47 x 47 x 24.5)


• Apples - Fuji, Harvest... $23.60 per bin (47 x 47 x 24.5)


• Apples - Red Delicious, Harvest... $15.00 per bin (47 x 47 x 24.5)


• Apples - Golden, Harvest... $17.00 per bin (47 x 47 x 24.5)


• Apples - Gala, Harvest... $20.00 per bin (47 x 47 x 24.5)

The above rates for Washington must be applied in evaluating job orders submitted for activities scheduled for 2008-2009.

All H-2A job orders must also offer housing, and if a prevailing working condition, board, at no cost to the worker, in accordance with ETA Handbook 398 and 20 CFR 655 H-2A regulations.

Non-criteria interstate and intrastate job orders should offer free housing and/or board if they are prevailing working conditions, in accordance with 20 CFR 653 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker (MSFW) regulations.

If the worker is to be paid by the hour, for all non-criteria job orders the employer shall pay the worker at least the legal state or Federal minimum hourly wage or the prevailing wage, whichever is highest. For all criteria job orders, the employer must pay at least the legal state or Federal minimum wage, the prevailing wage, or the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), whichever is highest. Effective July 24, 2007, the Federal Minimum Wage rate increased to $5.85 per hour. On July 24, 2008, the rate will increase to $6.55 per hour. On July 24, 2009, the rate will increase to $7.25 per hour.

If the worker is to be paid on a piece rate basis, the piece rate shall be no less than the piece rate prevailing for the activity in the area of intended employment. If the piece rate does not result at the end of the pay period in average hourly piece rate earnings during the pay period at lesst equal to the amount the worker would have earned had the worker been paid at the appropriate hourly rate, the worker's pay shall be supplemented at that time so that the worker's earnings are at least as much as the worker would have earned during the pay period if the worker had been paid at the appropriate hourly wage rate for each hour worked.