TAMPA, FL – When three Arcadia citrus farm labor contractors failed to comply with the requirements of the federal H-2A agricultural worker visa program, they shortchanged 123 employees – owing them $72,609 in total wages.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that Benjamin M. Ramirez Harvesting Inc., AO Harvesting LLC and Gustavo Cisneros Harvesting Inc. failed to provide H-2A employees with at least three-quarters of the work hours guaranteed on their work contracts, and failed to pay them the wages required by law under the program. The H-2A temporary agricultural program allows agricultural employers to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the U.S. legally to perform agricultural labor or services of a temporary or seasonal nature when domestic workers are in short supply.

Investigators found that Benjamin M. Ramirez Harvesting violated the program’s required three-quarters guarantee and owed $30,915 in back wages to 31 employees. The agency also assessed a $1,429 civil penalty for the violation. AO Harvesting violated the same requirement and owed $37,005 in back wages to 38 employees. In that case, the agency also assessed a $1,429 civil penalty for the violation.

Labor contractor, Gustavo Cisneros Harvesting, violated the three-quarters guarantee and also failed to properly reimburse workers for inbound transportation costs as required by law. As a result, the employer paid $4,688 to the 13 employees affected and paid a $1,250 civil penalty...

Read Full Story: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20220112