Washington State Department of Labor and Industries | A Richland company faces $1.25 million in fines for multiple violations of the state’s farm labor contractor law.
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L and I) fined Pacific Agri Services LLC following an investigation that began in August 2024. This is the largest farm labor contractor fine L and I has ever issued.
The company was operating without a license and had not told nearly 5,000 workers in writing how much they’d be paid, what type of work they’d be doing, when and where they were going, how they would be housed, or how they would be transported. Without this information, workers are unable to assert their rights, especially foreign workers who may not otherwise know Washington’s workplace standards.
There are more than 250 licensed farm labor contractors in the state providing labor for agricultural employers. The contractors recruit, employ, and transport an estimated 50,000 domestic and foreign workers in Washington each year.
State law requires these contractors to pay at least minimum wage, provide safe transportation, and ensure meal and rest breaks for workers. The contractors are also required to provide disclosure forms that spell out a worker’s wages, the type of work they’ll be doing, when and where the work will take place, and explain benefits such as housing and transportation.
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