Wednesday, January 31st, 2007
Growers sued by migrant workers
Grower sued by migrant workers Suit claims pay less than minimum wage
By Pat Gillespie Ft. Myers News Press
pgillespie@news-press.com Originally posted on January 31, 2007
Nearly 200 migrant workers have filed a federal lawsuit against a produce company that grows tomatoes in Immokalee for paying them, they say, less than minimum wage.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Fort Myers, was filed on behalf of more than 3,000 people comprising indigent migrant workers who live in Mexico and who worked for Ag-Mart Produce Inc. during the 2005-06 tomato season.
Ag-Mart, which does business as Santa Sweets Inc., grows grape tomatoes in North Carolina, New Jersey and Florida, including Immokalee. The company is based in Plant City. The group’s attorney, Gregory Schell, said all 177 workers named in the lawsuit worked in Immokalee.
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