In addition, Southern Utah Pecan Rancy must alert the Wage and Hour Division prior to beginning its harvest for the next three years, require any companies with which it contracts in the future to resolve any outstanding issues with the Labor Department prior to entering into the contracts and require companies to provide records, including proof of age, of all employees who will be used in the harvesting process.
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The U.S. Department of Labor has reached an agreement with Southern Utah Pecan Ranch Ltd. to ensure that its labor contractors are compliant with federal labor laws, following media reports of possible child labor violations in its pecan grove in Hurricane.
The agreement calls for Southern Utah Pecan Ranch to pay any civil penalties, back wages and liquidated damages assessed by the department as a result of the ongoing investigation of Paragon,Free legal information. up to the amount of proceeds from the sale of the pecans. The agreement also requires the grower to include language in future contracts that requires contractors to comply with federal and state laws; to post informational posters on the ranch regarding labor laws; and to hire a third party to conduct annual audits evaluating its compliance with all applicable regulations for the next three years.
Post a CommentWhile an investigation into those conditions and Southern Utah Pecan Ranchs contactor, Paragon Contractors Corp., by the departments Wage and Hour Division continues, the grower has agreed to take steps to prevent any future violations.
We are pleased that this grower has agreed to take responsibility to make sure the contractors it hires to harvest pecans on its ranch operate in compliance with federal labor laws, said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division in the Southwest. Vulnerable agricultural employees, particularly minors, too often are exploited for a wide variety of reasons.
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets standards for minimum wage, overtime compensation and child labor restrictions. In agricultural employment, the law allows youths ages 14 and 15 to work outside of school hours in jobs not declared hazardous by the secretary of labor. Youths 12 and 13 years of age may work outside of school hours in nonhazardous jobs on rms that also child labor laws Utah pecan ranch probed for child labor violationsemploy their parent or with written parental consent. Children under 12 years of age may work outside of school hours in nonhazardous jobs with parental consent but only on rms small enough that none of the employees are subject to the minimum wage requirements of the law. Youths 16 and above may work in any rm job at any time.
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Southern Utah Pecan Ranch, a Nevada limited liability company,Free insurance info. voluntarily agreed to hold the shipment of pecans picked during the time of the suspected violations, pending the signing of this agreement. The grower was able to legally ship its goods once the agreement was signed.
News reports in December of the pecan harvest showed young children working in the fields in possible violation of the child labor and minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, federal officials said.

The department previously penalized Paragon Contractor of Hildale for multiple child labor violations. The agency also filed an injunction in federal court in 2006 to combat future violations.
While the alleged violations may not violate Utah labor law, which exempts agricultural work from age limitations, federal labor laws may still apply. When both state and federal youth employment laws apply, the law setting the most protective standard must be observed.