US Department of Labor recovers $1.1M for 263 foreign workers denied full wages by Wisconsin employer
US Department of Labor recovers $1.1M for 263 foreign workers denied full wages by Wisconsin employer MADISON, WI – Five years after leaving their Guatemalan and Mexican homes for jobs promised by owners of two Wisconsin forestry companies and discovering they would not receive the wages, benefits and types of jobs described in their contracts, 263 workers will finally receive $1.1 million in unpaid wages after extensive federal investigations. The lengthy resolution began with a U.S. Department of Labor review of H-2B Visa program certification contracts from 2016 to 2018 held by Northwoods Forestry Inc. and A&C Forestry Services LLC, both located in Eleva. The department’s Wage and Hour Division identified several violations of H-2B Visa program requirements, including improper job classification and employment outside the area of intended employment. While the employers sought and contracted the H-2B forestry workers for jobs in Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Wisconsin, in...