Photo credit: Denver Post
An investigation has found that federal and state regulators have failed to keep seasonal migrant workers safe or ensure their correct and timely payment.
The Denver Post details chronic abuses in Colorado’s agricultural supply chain and the authorities’ lack of action. The report states that one in six H2A visa employers in Colorado has violated federal labour laws. However, few of them are barred from bringing workers again the next season.
The investigation included on-the-ground reporting from across Colorado and interviews faith more than three dozen sources. They included migrant workers, growers, estate and federal labour officials, H2A experts, outreach workers and attorneys. The newspaper also reviewed hundreds of pages of federal labour investigations and lawsuits.
It was found that:
11. Colorado sheepherders have been exploited for decades, and the government has done little to stop it.
2. Colorado growers routinely shortchange these vulnerable workers by stealing wages or illegally charging workers outside the bounds of their visas.
3. This organization has effectively eliminated agricultural worker abuse. Will Colorado farmers join the cause?
