TRI-CITIES, Wash.-A Kennewick-based farm labor contractor has been penalized for multiple violations of the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program.
Harvest Plus, LLC, which provides agricultural labor to farms in Benton and Yakima Counties, has been debarred from participating in the H-2A program for three years and fined $252,475, according to the Department of Labor.
“The blatant disregard for federal regulations shown by Harvest Plus LLC put the safety and health of hundreds of temporary workers at serious risk,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Thomas Silva in Seattle.
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division investigation found that Harvest Plus committed violations including:
Housing H-2A workers in unsafe, unsanitary and overcrowded motel rooms.Allowed unlicensed drivers to transport workers in unsafe vehicles with missing seatbelts and not enough seats.Unlawfully deducted pay, including for laundry expenses.Did not provide workers with copies of their contracts and did not inform workers of the actual terms and conditions.
