Violating Worker Rights

Violating Worker Rights

Violating Worker Rights. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report.

A number of blueberry workers have had their rights violated by some growers in Walla Walla County. The growers have admitted the crime in federal court. The Ag Network's KayDee Gilkey has more.

GILKEY: The workers in this case had their rights systematically violated over the course of three years which included the failure by the growers to pay the full minimum wage and overtime pay. This is not a new case as the Department of Labor filed suit more than two years ago. Blue Mountain growers and their affiliates were named with others in the suit and admitted the wrong-doing. They will pay $20-thousand dollars in civil penalties in addition having to pay over $385-thousand dollars in unpaid wages and damages. Investigators found that the growers paid workers off the books and workers did not receive tickets to document the amount they had picked and were not given paychecks.

Thanks KayDee. Blue Mountain Farms is headquartered in Burbank, Washington. They had admitted to having multiple workers on a single ticket, not paying the promised wage nor paying the appropriate overtime to packing shed workers. They also tried to block and deny investigators access to their fields. Investigators obtained a court order to force Blue Mountain to give them access.

That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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