It's a bill in Albany some are calling another downstate versus upstate battle. Should farm employees be paid overtime and be given benefits? Our Brian Dwyer talked with a couple of upstate farm workers and you might be surprised with their opinions.

ELLISBURG, N.Y. -- Paid overtime, specific days off and health benefits, all great perks offered with many jobs. And some say they should be offered to farm workers in the state as well.

So what are the actual employees saying?

"It would put me in the poorhouse," Hillcrest Farms Herd Worker Gerald Rohde said.

And his statement is echoed by many upstate farmers.

"It would be costly. A lot of those guys work a lot more than 40 hours a week. They really add up. With milk prices not being very good, it would really hurt everybody," Calf/Heifer Manager Sarah Millard said.

Those we spoke with say it may work in the office, but not on the farm.

"I think there's a lot of employees that probably don't realize," Rohde said. "They think 'Oh boy. We're going to get paid overtime.' You are not going to get paid overtime. You are going to work 40 hours and you're going to go home at your base rate. Somebody else is going to come in."

Rohde is also worried farm workers across the state, would lose some of the benefits they do get for farm work. Housing, food, milk, a way to get kids into school, could all vanish. He and other workers say for anyone, including lawmakers, to categorize farming with other business, just has it wrong.

"This isn't an occupation," Rohde said. "It's a way of life and the 60, 65 or 70 hours is what we're used to."

"You just can't stop working when 5 o'clock or whatever time rolls around because you still have crops to get in and animals that might have a problem," Millard added. "You can't just walk away from them."

The bill was supposed to hit the Senate floor this week. That is now up in the air as State Senator Darrel Aubertine, who's against the bill, says he's working to keep the bill from being voted on at all.

But the bill also has plenty of support. Senator Pedro Espada is one of those leading the charge in Albany, saying several times, he's out to end the abuse of workers.