About a month ago, we started hearing reports of ginners throughout the Cotton Belt receiving letters from the Social Security Administration. These letters state that there are a certain number of employees in their company whose data is not matching up with the SSA system. The SSA has sent out similar letters in the past, but it has been 10 ... Read More »
The season that never seemed to end has finally ended, and many folks in the South and Southeast can put the 2018 crop behind them. Gins are just beginning to plan expansions and changes for the 2019 crop year and beyond. Don’t forget that these changes may affect your air quality permit. Most gins in the United States have some ... Read More »
The NCGA recognized Dr. Ed Barnes, senior director for Cotton Incorporated’s Agricultural and Environmental Research Division in Cary, North Carolina, as recipient of the NCGA’s 2018-19 Charles C. Owen Distinguished Service Award. It honors those who have provided a career of distinguished service to the U.S. ginning industry. Barnes received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in biological ... Read More »
It’s all over the news about how good the job market is. In many places, there are “help wanted” signs everywhere. Labor is tight. In some areas, labor is tighter than others. It’s no great shock that the ginning industry relies on a largely migrant workforce. With a tight labor market, able-bodied people who want to work can find work ... Read More »
Editor’s note: Safety is always the No. 1 priority at a cotton gin. Like other gin organizations, the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association is proactive in supporting safety efforts by providing guidelines for keeping gin workers safe while on the job. Here are some recommendations TCGA offered regarding powered tarp rollers in its December “The Ginnery” newsletter. There have been three ... Read More »
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced a new national site-specific inspection plan that became effective Oct. 16, 2018, and is effective for one year. Under this directive, OSHA will develop a list of employers for each OSHA regional office to inspect. The notice specifically states that the program does not include construction sites but is silent on whether ... Read More »
To minimize the number of issues you may encounter during an Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement or a Wage and Hour inspection, it is important that you use the correct documentation. The main forms the Wage and Hour division of the Department of Labor is looking for include the WH-516 and the WH-521. The WH-516 must ... Read More »
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