Corrected: Workers win US$3M settlement in lawsuit against Wenatchee's Stemilt Ag Services - report
Correction (Sept. 30, 2021): Since this article was published, the source of the information, The Wenatchee World, has issued a correction of its story due to factual inaccuracies. These inaccuracies included the unfounded allegation that federal anti-trafficking laws had been violated. The article has been updated with the corrected version from The Wenatchee World.
A federal judge has approved a $3 million settlement between Stemilt Ag Services and employees who were uncompensated during "nonprotective time".
The lawsuit alleged the company, a Wenatchee-based subsidiary of Stemilt Growers, violated rules regarding employee down time. The workers were uncompensated for the time they spent waiting before and after the work day, which was about a half hour each time.
The lawsuit was filed in October of 2020. U.S. District Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr. approved the settlement on Sept. 9.
A quarter of the $3 million settlement will cover attorney fees, while the remaining money will be divided between those employed by Stemilt AG Services.
Eligible workers were employed as hand harvesters, pruners, pickers, thinners or farm workers from 2015 to 2018. The money will be allocated based on the number of hours they worked during the three year time period.
Money from the lawsuit that goes unclaimed will be distributed to the Northwest Justice Project, which provides legal services to low-income families in the state.
In the settlement agreement, the three original plaintiffs will also receive an additional $6,000 as part of the settlement. Eligible workers must have filed a settlement claim form by Sept. 9, 2021. Once they receive their check, they will have 180 days to either deposit or cash the check.
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