Forestry Company to Pay Record $2.75 Million Settlement to Foreign Guestworkers Seeking Back Wages
Written by barb howe Friday, 12 February 2010 14:57
One of the largest forestry contractors in the United States has agreed to pay $2.75 million to settle the legal claims of over 2000 H-2B guestworkers who say they were cheated out of the wages they earned planting trees for the company. The case was brought by Farmworker Justice, Southern Poverty Law Center,the Legal Aid Justice Center and attorneys from two Chicago-based private law firms: Willenson Law, LLC and Hughes, Socol, Piers, Resnick & Dym. The court will hold a hearing before the settlement is finalized.
This case is unfortunately, not unusual. When guestworkers come here their visas tie them to an individual employer. Because many have gone into debt for the privilege of working legally in the United States, they are reluctant to complain if that employer turns out to be less than honest. It's a common problem inherent in both of these programs. Abuses in the H-2A program range from discriminatory rejections of qualified U.S. workers and arbitrary firings to systemic wage violations and deplorable housing conditions. And that was before the changes the Bush Administration made last year. Read more about it in our report Litany of Abuses: Why the H-2A guestworker program needs more not fewer worker protections
The vigorous litigation of this case and its successful result send a strong message to other employers about the risks of violating worker protection laws.
Read more about the settlement with the forestry guestworkers here.
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