Shinn & Son, a Toppenish farm known for growing hops, has been ordered to pay $300,000 under a Washington state consent decree for discriminatory and deceptive hiring practices. The settlement requires changes to the farm’s hiring and training protocols, and the money will go to workers who lost opportunities or suffered due to the farm’s actions, with individual payouts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.
According to the Washington Attorney General, Shinn & Son faced controversy after dismissing two crews of local farmworkers—mostly women—in spring 2023. This came despite the company having authorization from the U.S. Department of Labor to bring in foreign guestworkers through the H-2A visa program. The dismissed workers were told there was no available work, even though 95 H-2A workers began field work in late April. Between March and May 2023, at least 20 women who had been let go were denied rehire, consistently being told there were no job openings. Allegations of sex discrimination also emerged, with female employees reportedly subjected to derogatory comments like being called “old grandmas” and “useless,” suggesting systemic issues dating back to at least 2022.
"Bringing in temporary guestworkers when qualified people in Washington are willing and able to do the work is an abuse of the system and a violation of our laws,” said Washington Attorney General Nick Brown. The federal H-2A program allows employers to hire seasonal agricultural workers from abroad only when U.S. workers are unavailable, unwilling, or unable to do the job. The AGO alleges that Shinn & Son ignored these rules, violating both federal program regulations and Washington's worker protection laws.
Following allegations from Columbia Legal Services, the Attorney General’s Office investigated Shinn & Son and found deceptive job representations and discrimination based on citizenship, immigration status, and sex. Under the consent decree, the company is now prohibited from misrepresenting job availability or wages, must adopt a nondiscrimination policy, and is required to provide annual supervisor training on Washington’s consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws. These measures aim to strengthen compliance with legal and ethical employment standards.
