Iowa Administrative Law Judge Jeffrey Farrell's decision to dramatically reduce penalties against Henry's Turkey Service, "Judge Cuts State's Proposed Atalissa Fine by 85 Percent," Aug. 5, fails to punish a firm for intentionally and flagrantly violating labor laws.
Henry's Turkey Service took advantage of mentally retarded men. The service recruited mentally retarded men (through their families) in Texas and shipped them to Iowa to work in a turkey processing plant. The men were housed in substandard conditions and then had money deducted for food, lodging and "kind care." The men got $65 a month after deductions. Henry's Turkey Service stole wages from vulnerable men. How low can one get?
The judge accepted that there were 2,911 minimum wage violations over a two-year period, although the Iowa Workforce Development argued there were more than 9,000. Regardless of the exact number, clearly there was a pattern of abuse. The best way to send a clear message against abuse and wage theft is to issue meaningful fines. Cutting the fine from $1,164,400 to only $174,660 sends the ….
No comments:
Post a Comment