Eight gins were cited by the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division in 2017. These cases were settled this week. There are three main items cited in these cases that every gin needs to be sure they are doing. The first is that all migrant workers must be given a completed WH-516 form at [...]
TCGA Staff was treated to a unique experience last Friday. Tom Wancho, the Exhibits Planner for the Bullock Texas State History Museum invited us over to see the cotton gin that is displayed in the museum. This gin stand and feeder is on loan to the museum courtesy of our own Dan Taylor. David [...]
Bill Thomas has let us know that summer pricing is rising significantly for 2018, due to three large coal plants shutting down in ERCOT. If you are in ERCOT, buy your energy on the open market, and do not already have a contract that goes through the summer, you should probably get in touch with [...]
USDA Released the following statement on Saturday: USDA Helps Cotton Producers Maintain, Expand Domestic Market (MEMPHIS, TN, March 3, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced at the 66th Annual Mid-South Farm and Gin Show the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking action to assist cotton producers through a Cotton [...]
So far, we are in communication with nine gins that have been inspected by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor this year. If you have been inspected by DOL this year, and have not communicated with us, please let us know right away. Hopefully, DOL has completed their inspections at this [...]
The Trust has sent us two additional safety alerts which we thought should be shared with all TCGA members. Please take a minute to review the publication below, and be sure to reinforce these issues with all of your workers during your next safety meeting at the gin. [...]
Inspectors from the Wage and Hour division of the Department of Labor are making the rounds again this year. So far they have visited seven gins that we know of. If you receive an inspection from DOL, please contact your association office as soon as possible. Last year we had twelve gins inspected. With the [...]
As has been the case for many years, February 1, 2018 is that date when you need to complete and post your 2017 OSHA 300A form. This form has to remain posted from February 1 until April 30. This form, as well as the instructions for filling it out and posting, is available by clicking [...]
As the ginning season in West Texas continues, we have seen two additional lint cleaner accidents which we thought should be shared with all TCGA members. Please take a minute to review the publication below, and be sure to reinforce these issues with all of your workers during your next safety meeting at the [...]
The FDA has announced that it does not intend to enforce certain provisions in four of the rules that implement their Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). One of these provisions directly affects cotton gins. TCGA and other cotton organizations have been arguing for some time now that gins do not provide any food related processing activities [...]
