Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Department of Labor and the Western Growers Association (WGA) have signed a partnership agreement designed to promote cooperative education and outreach efforts to help growers, shipper/packers and farm labor contractors understand and comply with U.S. labor laws.

"One of the department's major goals is to ensure that employers understand how to follow the letter and spirit of our nation's labor laws," said George Friday, regional administrator in San Francisco for the department's Wage and Hour Division. "Our partnership with the influential Western Growers will have far-reaching benefits for the farm workers and their employers in the Western States."

Western Growers, headquartered in Irvine, CA, is one of the country's largest agricultural organizations with more than 3,000 member growers. Its members grow approximately 75% of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables raised in Arizona and almost 90% of these same commodities in California. Western Growers also employ the workers who produce nearly 50% of the nation's crop foods.

Under the terms of the partnership agreement, Wage and Hour Division staff will participate in WGA seminars and training sessions and discuss the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Labor department staff will also participate in training sessions on the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the requirements of the temporary agricultural migrant workers in the U.S. under H-2A visas and field sanitation regulations. Wage and Hour will also identify a liaison who will verify the status and authorization of farm labor contractors to conduct business and to respond to complaints, as appropriate, submitted by WGA members.

WGA will encourage member growers to conduct training meetings with employees and farm labor contractors at the beginning of the harvest season to discuss the applicable laws, and will then monitor harvest operations for compliance.

The agreement with WGA is similar to one the Labor Department signed with the Nisei Farmers League in Fresno in August 2003.

For more information about the laws applicable to the employment of farm workers, call the department's toll-free help line 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243). Information on local office locations and phone umbers is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

For more information about the FLSA, call the Los Angeles Wage and Hour office at (213) 894-6375 or the Department of Labor's toll-free help line at 1-866-4US WAGE (1-866-487-9243). Information is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7828 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.