Department of Labor shuts down farm labor contractor

SACRAMENTO
August 14, 2008 12:02am

G.V. Farm Labor of Orosi has had its farm labor contractor certificate of registration revoked by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The contractor is appealing the revocation, the department says.

The department says it wants to shut down the company because of two separate traffic accidents that resulted in the deaths of three farm workers and injuries to 12 others.

Company owner George Valdez tells the Fresno Bee newspaper that the actions are driving his company into bankruptcy.

“The loss of life and serious injuries from these accidents are tragic and unacceptable. We continue to hold this farm labor contractor accountable under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act,” says George Friday Jr., Western regional administrator of the department’s Wage and Hour Division.

A U.S. Department of Labor administrative law judge order of Jan. 29 ruled that the company, owned by George Valdez of Orosi, violated numerous provisions of the MSPA.

An investigation was prompted by a traffic accident near Selma on May 16, 2006, that killed three farm workers and seriously injured five others being transported to work near Laton.

The agency expanded the investigation following a second traffic accident involving the same contractor near Hanford on Aug. 22, 2006, that seriously injured seven farm workers being transported to work in a peach orchard. The company was under contract with Tos Farms of Hanford when both accidents occurred.

On Dec. 13, 2006, the Department of Labor assessed $37,200 in civil money penalties for both accidents for unsafe vehicle operation and unsafe driving, failing to ensure that the driver had a valid license, failing to have proper vehicle insurance, failing to register crew leaders and drivers, and transporting workers without authorization. Additionally, passengers in the first vehicle lacked one seat, and one seatbelt was not used at the time the accident occurred, investigators said.

G.V. Farm Labor Service was deemed responsible for the transportation of the employees to the worksites. The Wage and Hour Division had found similar transportation violations by the same company in the past and is continuing to pursue penalty collection.