More than 600 temporary agricultural workers in Ridge Spring, South Carolina, are set to receive over $132,000 in recovered wages. The U.S. Department of Labor found that Titan Fruit & Vegetable Co. Inc. made illegal deductions from their wages for political donations and cleaning fees.
The Wage and Hour Division discovered that Titan Fruit & Vegetable violated H-2A program regulations by asking workers to make political contributions, causing their wage rate to drop below the required $11.13 per hour. Additionally, workers were charged a cleaning fee for employer-provided housing.
The department's Office of Administrative Law Judges mandated Titan Fruit & Vegetable to pay $338,446 to 1,341 workers. So far, more than $200,000 has been distributed to about half of the affected employees. Efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining 617 workers owed a total of $132,308.
Jamie Benefiel, Wage and Hour Division District Director in Columbia, South Carolina, stated: “The H-2A temporary agricultural program helps U.S. farmers by allowing them to recruit the workers needed to harvest crops and help their businesses succeed. In return, employers have a fundamental responsibility to ensure that all workers who come legally to the U.S. under the H-2A program are paid fairly and comply with other regulations.”
Investigations also revealed additional violations by Titan Fruit & Vegetable:
- Some H-2A workers received an extra $50 weekly for driving company vans but this was not disclosed on job orders.
- Reasons for reduced working hours for some employees were not recorded.
- Workers traveled in unsafe vehicles with transportation safety issues such as a broken passenger window and worn tires.
These findings led to a civil penalty of $2,850 against the employer.
Benefiel urged public assistance in locating those still owed wages: “We are asking the public to assist us in locating those workers owed wages by Titan Fruit & Vegetable Co., so we can put these hard-earned wages in the pockets of the people who worked for them.”
The Wage and Hour Division is committed to finding all employees due back wages and offers various compliance resources for employers. The division operates without regard to immigration status and provides confidential communication in over 200 languages through its helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).
