Global Horizons verdict -- $317k to workers
An international farm labor contractor must pay $317,000 in damages for violating federal labor laws and discriminating against workers, a federal jury ruled Thursday. The jury in U.S. District Court in Yakima awarded the class-action claim against Global Horizons of Los Angeles. The figure includes $17,000 in compensatory damages to three farm workers and $300,000 in punitive damages to hundreds of workers. The classes include about 600 farm workers who worked for Global Horizons in 2005, as well as those who had sought work with the company but were not hired. Lori Isley of Columbia Legal Services of Yakima, who represented the workers, said the court will decide at a later date how much in compensatory damages should go to each worker. Thursday's jury award does not involve two Valley growers named as defendants in the case. The growers had used workers supplied by the firm. Liability for Green Acre Farms of Harrah and Valley Fruit Orchard of Wapato will be determined in a later hearing. Global Horizons decided to have its case heard by a jury, while the case of the two growers will be heard by Judge Robert Whaley. Whaley took over the case following the death of senior U.S. District Judge Alan McDonald. McDonald had awarded $1.09 million in damages on a motion for summary judgment. But Whaley has opted to set the award aside and reach his own determination on an amount. Isley said jurors found in favor of her clients on all issues. "This is a victory for farm workers everywhere who have been harmed by the unlawful practices of Global Horizons," she said. The award of punitive damages is less than the plaintiffs had sought. They had requested damages of $1.6 million. Isley said the jury found the contractor violated the federal Farm Labor Contractors Act by failing to provide the work promised to the workers. Jurors also found the company discriminated by failing to hire the workers or by firing them and replacing them with guest workers under the federal H2A program. Workers argued their jobs were given to guest workers from Thailand. The program allows growers to import foreign farm workers based on a showing that the local labor force is inadequate. Global Horizons has since had its license to operate in Washington revoked because of other violations. Jurors deliberated for five days before reaching their verdict. The trial lasted almost two weeks. Columbia Legal Services filed suit in 2005. |