Migrant Legal Aid files Federal Class Action Lawsuit against Blueberry Grower
June 3, 2016, attorneys for Migrant Legal Aid, and Willenson Law, a Chicago based law firm, filed the class action suit on behalf of an estimated 140 blueberry workers who allege they were being systemically underpaid, lacking access to proper field sanitation facilities, and living in overcrowed housing conditions.
"Migrant farmworkers work long hours, performing back-breaking labor in extreme conditions," said Teresa Hendricks, Plaintiffs' lawyer. "Wage theft is a serious, life-altering adversity for workers already living below the federal poverty line. They should be treated humanely and fairly for their sacrifice."
Marni Willenson, a class action attorney and former Litigation Coordinator for Farmworker Jusrtice,
agreed, adding, "Few of us have an appreciation for the sacrifices farmworkers make so we can enjoy produce, such as the blueberries grown in southwestern Michigan." Ms. Hendricks and Ms. Willenson have litigated dozens of federal actions, including class, complex and commercial actions.
MLA Investigating Cases that Involve:
o Farmworkers displaced by H-2A workers
o Housing discrimination against undocumented family members
o Managers taking bribes before offering jobs
Please contact MLA if you have any questions or information on these scenarios.