Yakima Valley farmworkers (more than 600 ) awarded $1.9 million in lawsuit

Source: Associated Press

YAKIMA, Wash. — Two Yakima Valley growers and a labor contractor have been ordered to pay more than 600 farm workers nearly $1.9 million in damages for federal labor law violations.

The workers are entitled to about $2,000 to $4,500 each from Global Horizons Inc. of Los Angeles, Valley Fruit Orchards of Wapato and Green Acre Farms of Harrah under the decision issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Alan A. McDonald in a class-action lawsuit.

The case stemmed mostly from a complaint that the growers, working through Global Horizons, wrongly displaced farm workers with guest laborers from Thailand in 2004 under the H-2A program, which allows employers to import foreign labor if they can demonstrate a lack of local workers.

McDonald ruled there was undisputed evidence of six violations of federal law, including:

— Failure to disclose productivity requirements and firing workers for failing to meeting the standards.

— Failure to pay a promised piece rate for pear harvesting.

— Telling area residents they had to provide their own transportation to get a job while providing transportation to the Thai workers.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003787585_webfarmworkers13.html

---

Here is a similar story from Florida over in the labor forum: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=367x2214

I have to tell ya, I'm really surprised!

Ten times that would have been more befitting the crime.