Seed company sued by migrant workers in Michigan

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Seed company sued by migrant workers in Michigan
| August 24, 2014 | Updated: August 24, 2014 11:02am

CASSOPOLIS, Mich. (AP) — A major seed company is being sued by more than 30 migrant farm workers who say they were underpaid while removing tassels from corn in southwestern Michigan.

The workers are mostly from Texas and were hired in 2012 to work in Cass County. Detasseling is hot, labor-intensive work that occurs while the corn still is in the ground.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Grand Rapids, accuses Johnston, Iowa-based DuPont Pioneer and two recruiters of violating federal wage and migrant labor laws. The allegations include poor housing, unsafe transportation to the fields and inadequate water.

DuPont Pioneer was formerly called Pioneer Hi-Bred and is part of Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont Co.

The seed company denies the allegations. A court filing last week says all parties "remain open" to a settlement.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Seed-company-sued-by-migrant-workers-in-Michigan-5708759.php

[NaturalHigh]

1. "Detasseling is hot, labor-intensive work"...

They got that right. I used to get worn out from the corn rows in my grandmother's garden. I can't imagine doing this all day for a living.

[GTurck]

3. In northwest Iowa....

it was how my husband and his siblings made money for school and clothes in the 1940's to the 1970's.

[Cal Carpenter]

2. Good for them!

I wonder who is representing them, if there's a legal aid group or workers rights group involved. I didn't see anything about the attorneys at the link (although my brain is fried from a 65 hr work week so I may have missed it, lol).

Regardless, it's good to see this collective action. I hope their attorneys are excellent. DuPont isn't to be reckoned with. I would guess DuPont may settle quickly and quietly (nondisclosure type thing), but if the workers fight hard it's an uphill battle. I wish them luck.