Farm-labor contractor must pay damages for violating labor laws

[Omaha Steve]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003910024_webglobalhorizon28m.html

By Seattle Times staff and Wire

YAKIMA — A federal court jury in Yakima says a Los Angeles-based international farm labor contractor must pay more than $300,000 in damages for discriminating against workers and violating federal labor laws.

That ruling comes in a class action case against Global Horizons.

The contractor says the workers in the case either quit or were terminated for cause. Global Horizons promises it will appeal.

In July, a federal judge found Los Angeles-based Global Horizons, and growers Valley Fruit Orchards of Wapato and Green Acre Farms of Harrah, both in Yakima County, in violation of state and federal labor laws, including willfully withholding wages and failing to provide information in Spanish about available jobs.

Global has been dogged across the country by lawsuits and state and federal investigations. The company lost its license to operate in Washington and has been banned by the federal government from bringing new foreign workers into the country for at least three years.

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