A Georgia
produce farm has agreed to pay $485,000 to settle a federal lawsuit, according
to a WSB-TV 2 article available here.
Daily Journal also published the article here.

The
lawsuit against Southern Valley Fruit & Vegetable Inc. and Hamilton Growers
Inc. by Georgia Legal Services and the Southern Poverty Law Center was filed
last year. It included American farmworkers and Mexican farmworkers brought to
the U.S. on temporary agricultural visas.

The suit
alleged farmworkers were not fairly compensated, including pay below minimum
wage, no overtime pay and partial payment. It also said Mexican workers were
owed reimbursements for travel from their home country.

The order
requires that the Georgia company to rehire the farmworkers, who were part of
the suit, and change its timekeeping and payroll practices.

For more information on labor law issues, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.