Press release - July 25, 2005
Centro Campesino announces the successful passage of a new migrant labor protection act, Chapter 127. Employers who fail to pay wages owed to migrant workers will face significant new penalties as a result of legislation signed by Governor Pawlenty on June 1, 2005. The new law doubles the fines for employers who violate written recruitment agreements with migrant workers and also provide that employers who do not pay wages when due can be made to pay twice the amount a worker would have earned until payment is made. The law takes effect August 1, 2005.<!--break-->
Centro Campesino's member, Santa Arreola a migrant worker from Del Rio, Texas came in 2002 to work in Chiquita Foods (now Lakeside Foods). Arreola who testified at the Senate hearing said "This law is important because now employers are going to respect contracts signed with workers, and people will be happy at work because their rights will be respected. " Lidia Sanchez, a former migrant worker and also a member of Centro Campesino, expressed in reference to this law: "I feel proud that Centro Campesino is taking care of the migrant worker community. This law helps us become aware of our rights and of the importance of exercising those rights. This law values the work of migrant farmworkers." Carmen Sosa who came to Minnesota as a migrant worker added "this law is going to benefit many people because the penalties for breaking migrant labor laws are higher and employers will think twice before violating the rights of migrant workers." Victor Contreras from Centro Campesino remarked: "Migrant workers are a crucial part of the Minnesota economy. Yet, all too often they are not paid the wages they have earned. These new laws will increase the incentives of employers to pay workers what they have earned and to punish those employers who try to take advantage of migrant workers."
With the active support of co-authors Representative Karen Clark, Senator Ellen Anderson, and Senator Sandy Pappas, Representatives Connie Ruth, Carlos Mariani; Al Juhnke; Aaron Peterson; and Tony Sertich, Centro Campesino worked to pass the Migrant Worker Protection Act. Workers from dairy farms and agricultural industries in southern Minnesota, Centro Campesino leaders, testified in both the Senate and the House to urge the passage of this new law.
Centro Campesino brought to the Minnesota Legislature's attention the absence of effective legal remedies for migrant workers who were denied the wages they had earned. Current law requires that employers who recruit migrant workers from outside of Minnesota must provide a written agreement that guarantees a minimum amount of work, describes the type of work to be performed, and sets out the wages and benefits to be paid. Any employer who violates such an agreement, or fails to pay wages due under such an agreement, will now be liable for a fine of $500.00 in addition to the amount of any unpaid wages. Further, employers who terminate a migrant worker's employment now must pay wages due within two days of the employment ending. If an employer fails to pay wages that are due, the employer can be made to pay twice the amount of the wages that an employee would have earned from the date the employment ended to the date payment is finally made. "We still need to do a lot of work to guarantee that migrant workers are paid fairly and treated with dignity and respect, but these new laws are an important first step," said Contreras.
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