More than $450,000 in back wages and damages have been clawed back by the U.S. Department of Labor for 62 workers following a deadly shooting incident at mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay. After uncovering a slew of poor labor practices and hazardous living conditions at the farming sites of the January 2023 tragedy, the department is doling out the recovered funds to affected migrant workers, according to a recent disclosure.
The department's Wage and Hour Division investigation targeted Concord Farms Inc. and California Terra Gardens, unearthing a pattern of labor violations, including underpayment and providing unfit housing. In a statement obtained by the Department of Labor, Assistant District Director Alberto Raymond described the worker's living quarters as sickening, filled with “garbage and with insects all around.”
At California Terra Gardens, 39 employees were crammed into cargo containers and run-down trailers, subjected to deplorable conditions. Owners Xianmin Guan and Liming Zhu even made illegal deductions from wages for this subpar accommodation. Meanwhile, a mere two miles away, Concord Farms' owner, Grace Tung, was found to have housed workers in mold-infested spaces within a greenhouse with rampant insect problems. Workers were not paid overtime, nor for off-the-clock duties they fulfilled.
The Wage and Hour Division's thorough investigation culminated in Concord Farms agreeing to pay $370,107 in overtime wages and liquidated damages to 10 workers, $4,242 to 23 workers for late wages, and coughing up $29,049 in civil penalties for their infractions. Similarly, California Terra Gardens ceded to paying $84,074 for illegal housing deductions and $42,494 in penalties for their housing, wage disclosure, and recordkeeping violations. The accused shooter, indicted earlier this year, was connected with both farms as a former employee.
Deeply rooted in Half Moon Bay's agricultural landscape, these labor establishments have now been held accountable, sending a message that violations of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act will not go undetected or unpunished. Within the fiscal year 2023, officials recovered over $6.8 million for agricultural workers and imposed more than $6.6 million in penalties against employers for flouting federal regulations.
The Department of Labor continues to offer resources for workers to learn about their rights and recoup lost wages through their helpline and time tracking app, supporting them in English, Spanish, and over 200 other languages. For more information or help, workers are encouraged to contact the department's toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).
