A Santa Maria farm labor company has been fined over $1 million dollars for violating farmworkers’ rights.
Rancho Nuevo Harvesting Inc. hires people to work on farms in California and Arizona.
The US Department of Labor found several violations with how the company treated workers under the H2-A program; that program allows agricultural employers to bring in temporary foreign workers.
Investigators found a range of violations including inadequate housing, unsafe transportation practices and underpayment of workers.
Francisco Ocampo is the Assistant District Director with the US Department of Labor.
“This case that we conducted with Rancho Nuevo is going to ring out into the community and make sure the employer industry understands that the department does enforce the H2-A provisions strenuously,” Ocampo said.
The court has ordered the company to pay over $558,298 in back wages to 649 farmworkers, along with more than $475,211 in penalties for their repeated violations.
Ocampo hopes the fines will let other farming companies know they can't mistreat workers without consequences.
Additionally, he wants it to signal to farmworkers, especially immigrants, that they can speak up for their rights.
"Regardless of your immigration status or even if you're here only on a temporary visa, such as under the H2-A program, you do have certain rights, and those rights must be implemented and enforced," Ocampo said.
Rancho Nuevo Harvesting Inc. provided a statement to KCBX:
“From the beginning, we cooperated fully with the Department of Labor on their investigation. We are moving forward with enhanced compliance to ensure we are fully following the law and providing the healthiest, safest work environment for our employees.”
