Two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms that left seven people dead in a mass shooting owe workers hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages and accuse many of them of illegally living in trailers and containers filled with trash and mold. the Department of Labor announced.
California’s Terra Gardens and Concord Farms must pay more than $450,000 to 62 workers and more than $71,000 in penalties to the U.S. Treasury Department, the agency said in a statement after completing an investigation that found workers’ wages had been withheld. Pay overtime.
At both farms, workers and their families lived in filthy, infected, cramped conditions, with many living in illegal housing made of shipping containers, garages and dilapidated trailers, according to an investigation conducted by the department’s Wage and Hour Division. middle.
“Our investigation found that workers at Terra Gardens and Concord Farms in California were living in disgusting conditions and were forced to sleep near garbage and surrounded by insects,” said Alberto Ray, assistant regional director of the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Alberto Raymond said. “The Department of Labor is determined to hold employers accountable if they neglect their legal responsibilities to provide suitable housing when needed and to pay workers all legally earned wages for their hard work under difficult conditions.”
More than a year ago, prosecutors said 67-year-old Zhao Chunli shot his colleague with a handgun. Zhao, who is still awaiting trial, was working at Terra Gardens and had previously worked at Concord Farms.
The fatal shooting occurred after a supervisor told Zhao he had to pay $100 for the damaged equipment, officials said.
The shooting on January 23, 2023, drew attention to the living conditions of two farmworkers.
In Terra Gardens, Calif., investigators found 39 workers had been living in cramped shipping containers, dilapidated trailers and garages used as homes, according to the Labor Department.
Officials say workers are exposed to insects and trash in illegal housing. Farmer Guan Xianmin and his wife Zhu Liming also deducted money from their workers’ wages and allowed them to live in illegal housing. Officials at Concord Farms and California Terra Gardens could not be reached for comment.
At the Concord farm, investigators found former greenhouses were used as homes for workers, where they were exposed to mold and insects.
The agency found that workers were not compensated for all hours worked, including overtime and non-overtime hours.
The agency said Concord Farms agreed to pay $370,107 in overtime and liquidated damages to 10 workers and $4,242 in late fees to 23 workers. The farm was also ordered to pay $29,049 in violation fines.
Terra Gardens of California agreed to pay $84,074 to 39 workers for the costs they paid for illegal housing and to pay $42,494 in fines.
Last week, the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission approved a new building designed for low-income senior farm workers. The project is expected to add 40 new homes.
Although the plan was in the works before the mass shooting, it took on added urgency after the shooting.
The plan was delayed during an hours-long meeting of the city’s Planning Commission, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to publicly urge city officials to move forward with the plan. He warned that if the project did not progress, the state agency that enforces housing laws would “take all necessary measures to hold Half Moon Bay accountable.”
