San Marcos-based agricultural employer, Lucky Growers Inc., has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor for numerous violations affecting its workers. A recent investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division revealed that the company charged 30 agricultural laborers rent for housing conditions that fell far below federal safety standards. According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Labor, the employer provided unsanitary living conditions with structural damage, mold, and infestations of insects and rodents.
The laborers, essential to the agricultural operations that serve countless Americans, were subjected to rooms with incomplete or absent doors, unsafe propane tanks, and poorly lit spaces. Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and first aid kits were also notably missing from the housing provided. The investigation further revealed that the employer had illegally charged rent to these workers. "Farmworkers provide essential labor that helps feed millions of Americans, and they have rights that are federally protected," Emily Eckstein, the Assistant District Director of the Wage and Hour Division in San Diego, said in a statement obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Moreover, it was determined that Lucky Growers Inc. failed to inform workers about job and housing conditions beforehand, neglecting a critical element of transparency and worker welfare. Addressing these violations, the Wage and Hour Division has recovered $171,400 in back wages to compensate the employees for the rent charged. It has levied $76,274 in civil monetary penalties against the company for violations of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.
