Highest fine ever for contractor who violated safety rules that resulted in death of California farmworker Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez.

Zirkle Fruit in Washington state has reached a settlement with 600 former H-2A guestworkers who accused the company of failing to adequately disclose production standards in the labor contract. The company will pay the workers a total of $102,000 ($170/ per person).

Also, Washington is the next state to try to implement a state-run guestworker program.

Mexico will distribute $63 million in pensions to former Braceros. KPCC in Southern California has an audio report on the story.

The Smithsonian will hold two meetings in Oregon seeking former Braceros to document their stories for its oral history project on the notorious guestworker program which ran from 1942 to 1964.  Story in the Statesman-Journal.

CIW brings fight for higher wages to Chipotle, Subway and Whole Foods.