U.S. Department of Labor reported March 18 that 20 temporary workers will receive nearly $20,000 in back wages from a southwest Virginia farm.
Reyes Nature Greens, in Grayson County, Va., will have to pay the workers $19,988, in addition to $36,000 in civil penalties, according the news release. The H-2A workers traveled from Mexico to provide pumpkins, Christmas trees and produce for Mid-Atlantic consumers.
"Agricultural workers are among the most vulnerable essential workers our laws protect," Pittsburgh-based Wage and Hour Division District Director John DuMont said. "This investigation underscores the department’s commitment to using all enforcement tools to protect the rights of people who work in the U.S."
Employers should see what happened in the Reyes Nature Green as an example, DuMont added.
The Wage and Hour Division's investigation found the company failed to pay its H-2A workers enough and failed to comply with visa requirements, the release reported. Among other things, Reyes Nature Greens allegedly paid the workers $11.42 an hour, rather than the required $11.46 per hour. The company also reportedly missed entire payrolls and making no payments "during certain workweeks," the news release said.
Reyes Nature Greens also didn't guarantee the workers employment hours of at least 75 percent of the workdays in a contract period or provide copies of the work contract and pay statements, according to the news release. The farm also failed to provide housing and transportation for workers between their living quarters and the worksite.
The H-2A visa program allows U.S. employers to hire temporary, nonimmigrant workers in the country legally for seasonal agricultural work.
