Hawaii farms settle Thai workers discrimination suit for US$2.4m

[webfact]

Hawaii Farms Settle Thai Workers Discrimination Suit for $2.4M

HONOLULU — Four Hawaii farms are settling a discrimination lawsuit for a total of $2.4 million over allegations that they exploited hundreds of Thai workers.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal lawsuit in 2011 against California-based labor contractor Global Horizons and six Hawaii farms, with allegations including subjecting workers to discrimination, uninhabitable housing, insufficient food, inadequate wages and deportation threats.

Mac Farms of Hawaii will pay $1.6 million, Kelena Farms will pay $275,000, Captain Cook Coffee Co. will pay $100,000, and Kauai Coffee Co. will pay $425,000, according to settlement agreements made public Tuesday.

Full story: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/hawaii-farms-settle-thai-workers-discrimination-suit-2-4m-n121846

-- NBCNEWS 2014-06-05

[chooka]

Can the Burmese sue Thailand for the same thing? I bet my balls Thai's treat migrant workers far worse than the U.S.

[zaphod reborn]

Having worked for many years as an employment law attorney in Hawaii, this is good news. Although there were few Thais in Hawaii working the plantations when I lived there, any difference in the way the farms were treating Thai workers as opposed to other ethnic groups, violated Hawaii's and the federal government's employment discrimination laws.

It's particularly good that this was prosecuted by the EEOC, which doesn't usually get involved in these types of heated litigation battles. As a result, the Thais won't have to pay attorneys fees. The Court can make a separate award for fees against the defendant farms to pay to the federal government.

The defendants are major corporate farms and large landowners. These were not small-time farm operators. I don't feel sorry for them in the least.

[chooka]

Is this related to this case. So the human trafficking part was dropped but the civil discrimination/exploitation case proceeded

Why Did the Federal Government Drop the Case Against Global Horizons?

Government officials called it the largest human trafficking case in U.S. history. Global Horizons Inc., a labor recruiting company based in Los Angeles, was accused of keeping 600 Thai farmworkers in conditions of forced labor by putting them in debt, confiscating their passports and threatening deportation. Out of eight labor contractors indicted, three pled guilty. The government seized 226 boxes of paper and 73 hard drives to examine for evidence, and had evidence from hundreds of witnesses.

http://breakthechaincampaigndc.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/why-did-the-federal-government-drop-the-case-against-global-horizons-3-2/

[Chicog]

Is this related to this case. So the human trafficking part was dropped but the civil discrimination/exploitation case proceeded

Why Did the Federal Government Drop the Case Against Global Horizons?

Government officials called it the largest human trafficking case in U.S. history. Global Horizons Inc., a labor recruiting company based in Los Angeles, was accused of keeping 600 Thai farmworkers in conditions of forced labor by putting them in debt, confiscating their passports and threatening deportation. Out of eight labor contractors indicted, three pled guilty. The government seized 226 boxes of paper and 73 hard drives to examine for evidence, and had evidence from hundreds of witnesses.

http://breakthechaincampaigndc.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/why-did-the-federal-government-drop-the-case-against-global-horizons-3-2/

Sorry to drift slightly off topic, but If you could bring a case like that in the Middle East, the place would shut down overnight.

Forced labor, indebtedness, confiscated passports, jampacked hellhole-standard accomodation, par for the course.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Chicog

[belg]

discrimination ... lol

we expats have no rights at all, except spending money

[quidnunc]

discrimination ... lol

we expats have no rights at all, except spending money

I disagree I see you are exercising your right to feel self-pity.

[rickirs]

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Is this related to this case. So the human trafficking part was dropped but the civil discrimination/exploitation case proceeded

Why Did the Federal Government Drop the Case Against Global Horizons?

Government officials called it the largest human trafficking case in U.S. history. Global Horizons Inc., a labor recruiting company based in Los Angeles, was accused of keeping 600 Thai farmworkers in conditions of forced labor by putting them in debt, confiscating their passports and threatening deportation. Out of eight labor contractors indicted, three pled guilty. The government seized 226 boxes of paper and 73 hard drives to examine for evidence, and had evidence from hundreds of witnesses.

http://breakthechaincampaigndc.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/why-did-the-federal-government-drop-the-case-against-global-horizons-3-2/

Reading article it appears that the Department of Justice said that the motion for dismissal was “based on an additional review of the evidence following the August 2011 dismissal” of the case against another case with Sou brothers and Aloun Farms handled by the same prosecution when the prosecution admitted to having misstated the law to the grand jury, and the lead prosecutor, who was responsible for the mistake, stepped down as a result of unrelated health problems. In summary dismissal of the matter “is in the interest of justice” because the government is unable to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt." However, a civil case through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, will continue to go through. Quite a mess.

[kinmaew]

Can the Burmese sue Thailand for the same thing? I bet my balls Thai's treat migrant workers far worse than the U.S.

you are right chook thais seem to like it only when the boot is on the other foot

[SOTIRIOS]

......imagine affording foreigner workers in Thailand any justice or compensation......

.......(R.I.P. John Lennon)...........

[KonaRain]

I posted this last night..I like all Your Posts..

Our Thai 'guests were reduced to eating birds and our large ...!!

They just wanted part of Our Dream..lol

He mortgaged His house..

listen here

http://hpr2.org/post/latest-settlement-announced-mistreated-thai-farmworkers