New York Laws
Article 21 - Milk Control
258-L - Producers' Bargaining Agencies and Distributors' Bargaining Agencies.

(b) A distributors' bargaining agency may be organized by the
distributors in a marketing area. The voting power of each distributor
in such bargaining agency shall be in proportion to the quantity of milk
distributed by him in such area. Such quantity shall be determined by
that distributed during the preceding year as reported to the
commissioner. In the New York metropolitan milk marketing area the
voting power of each distributor shall be on the basis of one vote for
each ten million pounds of milk distributed in such market during the
preceding year and in case of a distributor handling a less quantity of
milk, a proportionate fractional vote. In other marketing areas the
voting basis shall be one vote for each one hundred thousand pounds
distributed during the preceding year in such market with a
proportionate fractional vote in case of distributors handling a less
quantity of milk. The purpose of distributors' bargaining agencies is to
negotiate with producers' bargaining agencies as to the agreements or
the basis of orders in the respective marketing areas for presentation
to the commissioner for his consideration and approval, as provided in
section two hundred fifty-eight-m herein.
A distributors' bargaining agency may appear before and negotiate with
the commissioner in regard to marketing agreements or orders, as
provided in section two hundred fifty-eight-m herein.
Producers' bargaining agencies and distributors' bargaining agencies
may also meet and negotiate in order to carry out the purposes of this
act and subject to the approval of the commissioner, as provided in
section two hundred fifty-eight-m, may make marketing agreements with
each other and with cooperative associations in relation to the
marketing of milk which may be handled or distributed in more than one
marketing area. Such agencies may also meet and negotiate and take such
reasonable measures as are necessary and advisable to cooperate with the
commissioner and legally constituted authorities of other states and of
the United States with respect to the handling and control of milk
handled in interstate commerce and carry out and effectuate the
provisions of section two hundred fifty-eight-n.
Except as specifically provided in section two hundred fifty-eight-m,
the activities and operations of producers' bargaining agencies and
distributors' bargaining agencies and of the constituent members
thereof, and contracts, agreements or arrangements made by them,
pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision, and of section two
hundred fifty-eight-m hereof, shall not be deemed or construed to be
conspiracies, combinations, contracts or agreements in restraint of
trade or commerce or an illegal monopoly.
"Milk production area" as used in this article means those dairy farms
maintained primarily as a source of fluid milk for a marketing area.
Such primary source of supply shall include farms from which all
shipments of milk have been subject to the minimum uniform price
provisions of a marketing order or agreement for such market during at

least a portion of the preceding two years, together with such other
farms as may hereafter be designated by the commissioner as a source of
supply for the marketing area in the manner prescribed by section two
hundred fifty-eight-j.