USA COURT AWARDED DAMAGES TO 722 FARM WORKERS IN CLASS ACTION SUIT TO BE DIVIDED BY THEM BETWEEN $ 1000 T0 $ 3000 FOR NOT PROTECTING THEIR RIGHTS 14TH OCTOBER 2013 #SPOKANE – More than 700 workers on a Sunnyside-area farm will divide $1 million following a federal court decision in a class action lawsuit announced last Friday. #U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Rice awarded 722 farm workers $1,004,000 in damages against a labor contractor and orchard owners for violations of state law protecting farm workers. #The award was announced by Columbia Legal Services of Yakima, which represented the workers, each of whom will be awarded between $1,000 and $3,000. #“This decision puts money in the pockets of hard working farm workers and sends a clear message that absentee land owners will be held responsible for violations committed by their labor contractors,” stated Lori Isley, one of three Columbia Legal Services attorneys involved in the case. #The farm laborers were hired to work two orchards near Sunnyside. #According to Columbia Legal Services’ announcement, the orchards are owned by John Hancock Insurance Company. #The court found John Hancock leased the Alexander and Independence orchards near Sunnyside to a California company, Farmland Management Services, which in turn subleased the orchards to NW Management. #The court found “virtually all the proceeds from the sale of fruit grown flow directly to John Hancock.” #The workers brought the class action lawsuit in July 2012 after a group of 10 workers alleged they were fired by NW Management in retaliation for calling the police and causing an investigation by the Department of Labor & Industries because they claimed their foreman was routinely displaying and shooting his gun in the orchards to intimidate workers. #In addition, Columbia Legal Services says the workers complained NW Manag
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 02:04:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015