The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a court order against the operator of a farm in Rosedale, Louisiana, mandating the payment of $12,000 in civil penalties and barring the employers from applying for H-2A certification for one year. This decision follows an investigation that revealed the farm's operator had threatened and intimidated workers.
The consent decree was issued on August 16, 2024, by the Office of Administrative Law Judges. It is a result of a June 2021 investigation conducted by the department’s Wage and Hour Division into Rivet & Sons LLC, a sugar cane and soybean farm near Baton Rouge. The investigation found that H-2A workers were denied adequate water while working in the fields. After workers sought assistance from his son, Glynn Rivet—then the owner—responded with threats and violence, including pointing handguns at the workers and firing shots.
Betty Campbell, Wage and Hour Southwest Regional Administrator in Dallas, stated: "This case’s resolution reflects the Wage and Hour Division’s commitment to protecting the nation’s vulnerable workforce, including agricultural workers. We will not tolerate retaliation against, punishing or blacklisting employees because they exercise their rights under the law."
In October 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana ordered Glynn Rivet to pay $75,000 in back wages and prohibited him from violating H-2A program anti-retaliation provisions. Additional restrictions included barring him from communicating with current or former workers and prohibiting him from coming within 1,500 feet of any worker or carrying firearms within this distance.
John Rainwater, Regional Solicitor in Denver, emphasized: "The U.S. Department of Labor will work tirelessly to protect the rights of H-2A workers, including their rights to basic needs such as water, meals and field sanitation facilities without fear of abuse or retaliation from their employers."
For more information about the H-2A program and agricultural labor laws enforced by the division, individuals can contact the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). The division offers support in over 200 languages.
