1 p.m. Monday December 21, in Watsonville
UFW’s Rodriguez to announce $283,000 for 491 Reiter Berry workers from settlement of federal class action suit alleging work without pay
Reiter Berry Farms workers will join United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez at a Monday news conference to announce settlement of a 1997 federal class action lawsuit under which $283,000 is going to 491 employees who alleged that they were forced to labor without pay before and after work, and that they were not allowed to take full lunch and break periods.
The suit, filed on Aug. 7, 1997, charged Reiter–the largest supplier of berries to the giant Driscoll corporation–with failing to pay its raspberry workers for time worked in preparation for picking and for time worked harvesting, sorting and packing berries after a whistle was sounded.
UFW organizers learned of the work-without-pay allegations and referred the workers to the San Francisco law firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland. The employee rights and discrimination firm is nationally known for its successful representation of workers at Mitsubishi Motors and in the Wall Street securities fraud case against Drexel Burnham.
Three other 1997 federal class action lawsuits have been settled on behalf of berry workers: A suit alleging failure to pay strawberry harvesters for work performed off the clock against the former Gargiulo Co. that produced $575,000 for 1,000 strawberry workers, an action charging sex discrimination that resulted in $120,000 for 131 workers at Salinas Berry Farms and a suit alleging unpaid overtime that produced a $29,000 settlement for 312 workers, also at Salinas Berry Farms.
Who: United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez and workers from Reiter Berry Farms.
What: Announcing $283,000 settlement of the Reiter workers’ 1997 federal class action lawsuit charging the berry producer with forcing pickers to labor without pay.
When: 1 p.m., Monday, Dec. 21, 1998.
Where: UFW Watsonville headquarters, 18 West Lake St. (behind Main St.).
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