West Foods, Inc. v. Morgan

This case involves a dispute as to the construction to be placed upon a provision of our unemployment compensation law exempting “agricultural labor.” ORS 657.045.

Petitioner employer, West Foods, Inc. (West), appeals from a decision of the Employment Appeals Board upholding an award of unemployment benefits. The Appeals Board held that the claimant employe was not engaged in “agricultural labor,” and was therefore entitled to benefits based on a period of employment from January 2 through October 5, 1972, ① when claimant was laid off. We reverse.

The essential facts are as follows:

West grows,…