Brock v. Elsberry, Inc.

663 F. Supp. 359
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedMay 28, 1987
Docket84-1205-CIV-T-17
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 663 F. Supp. 359 (Brock v. Elsberry, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brock v. Elsberry, Inc., 663 F. Supp. 359 (M.D. Fla. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

KOVACHEVICH, District Judge.

This cause came before the Court, for trial without jury, on April 14 — 16 and 20— 21,1987. The Court, having considered the pleadings, pretrial stipulations, stipulations at trial, the evidence presented, and arguments of counsel, hereby finds that Defendants have violated 29 U.S.C. § 1862(c) of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act of 1983 (MSPA). Temporary injunction enjoining Defendants from further violation shall issue, for the following reasons.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1) The Secretary of Labor brought this action seeking an injunction pursuant to § 502(a) of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act of 1983 [29 U.S.C. § 1852(a) ], hereinafter MSPA or the Act, alleging that at all times pertinent hereto Defendants have unlawfully resisted, opposed, impeded, and interfered with officials of the Wage and Hour Division, United States Department of Labor, assigned to perform investigations pursuant to the Act, during the performance of such duties.

2) Defendants denied violation of § 512(c) based upon their construction of the statute, and filed counterclaim seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. Defendants assert that § 512 of the MSPA violates the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution to the extent that it is interpreted to authorize non-judicially supervised entries upon Defendants’ properties to conduct investigations.

3) In 1981, the Tampa Area Office of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division received a complaint from Florida Rural Legal Services alleging that farm labor contractors (FLC’s) Rosa Lee Hall, Lionel Beaver, Dock Hunt, and Jimmy Jorden, Sr., were violating provisions of the Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act of 1963, as amended [7 U.S.C. §§ 2041, et seq.], hereinafter FLORA, (the predecessor to MSPA) by not informing workers of the terms and conditions of employment, making improper monetary payments, making improper deductions from wages, and beating workers. (Trans. I, Pgs. 130, 152, 215, 11-14). Area Director Chris Garringer reviewed the complaint and forwarded it to Assistant Area Director Larry Wilson (Tr. 1-215) who assigned the matter to Farm Labor Specialist (FLS) George Fernandez for investigation. FLS Fernandez determined that the contractors in question were working at Elsberry Farms. (Tr. 1-131).

4) At all times pertinent, Defendants have been agricultural employers within the meaning and coverage of the FLORA, and the MSPA. Defendants are a group of family-owned companies engaged in the business of tomato and citrus farming in Ruskin, Florida, and their authorized representative is Ray E. Holcombe. Defendants conduct their commercial farming operation in agricultural fields in and around the Ruskin area. Defendants regularly contract with several farm labor contractors, who provide agricultural workers to Defendants. Defendants operate numerous migrant labor camps as part of their commercial farming enterprise, in which they provide housing for migrant workers.

5) Defendants, throughout the pertinent period, have charged workers for utilities at their housing at widely fluctuating fixed rates. (Pl. Exs. 16, 17; Tr. IV-9, 198). The crew leaders collect the money from the workers’ wages and turn the money over to Defendants. Defendants do not maintain any records reflecting such deductions from wages. (Tr. IV-24, 204).

6) At least as early as December, 1981, Defendants were utilizing farm labor contractors to furnish agricultural workers to plant, cultivate or harvest tomatoes and citrus. Some of their contractors, either prior to or during the pendency of this investigation, have been enjoined from violating various provisions of FLORA.

7) Since 1972, Defendants have utilized other farm labor contractors who have been judicially enjoined from violating various provisions of FLORA, including Ida *361 Vereen, Charles Jorden, and Mrs. Harold Beaver.

8) Based on the complaint, in late 1981 Defendants were contacted about the pending investigation. On November 16, 1981, attorney Charles Kelso wrote FLS Fernandez on behalf of Defendants. He advised Wage and Hour that Defendants’ position was one of cooperation. The letter stated that Ray Holcombe (spokesman for Defendants) would contact Fernandez “... to arrange a time when you can visit his office to check time cards and payroll records, interview employees, etc_”. (PI. Ex. 1).

9) FLS Fernandez contacted Holcombe and arranged an appointment to commence the investigation. On December 15, 1981, FLS Fernandez and Compliance Officer Richard Neely held a meeting with Ray Holcombe and explained that payroll records were to be checked, employees interviewed, and any problems concerning compliance with FLORA discussed with Holcombe. (Tr. 1-108, 135). Arrangements were made to have farm labor contractors Rosa Lee Hall and Lionel Beaver at Defendants’ corporate office on January 20, 1982. (Tr. 1-108, 137).

10) On January 20, 1982, the investigators returned to the corporate office to interview Hall and Beaver. However, Hol-combe insisted on being present during the interviews. FLS Fernandez explained that the interviews must be private and cited FLORA’S authority requiring that the interviews be confidential. Holcombe would not allow private interviews, and the compliance officers left the premises. (Tr. I-110, 111, 137).

11) On January 27, 1982, the investigators returned to conduct interviews, and again were not permitted to conduct confidential interviews. (Tr. 1-112, 140). Hol-combe was again advised of the necessity of confidential interviews, to which he responded that no confidential interviews would take place on his property. (Tr. 1-112, 140). Holcombe’s sole reason for refusing to allow the interviews was to protect himself from being found in violation. He stated that his farm labor contractors had been found in violation when investigated on farms in North Carolina, and that he had heard that other farmers in Hillsborough County had been found in violation as a result of such investigations.

12) Pursuant to Wage and Hour’s policy of attempting to reach reasonable accomo-dations with subjects as to the conduct of investigations, (Tr. 1-163, Def. Ex. 12), Area Director Garringer went to Defendants’ office to see if the problems could be worked out. However, Holcombe still insisted on being present during employee interviews. (Tr. 1-113, 216-217). Garringer also talked with an attorney for Defendants, Henry Huettner. This talk failed to produce an agreement. (Tr. 1-219).

13) In accordance with policy, Garringer notified Assistant Regional Administrator Richard Robinette of the failure to reach an agreement that would permit the investigation to proceed. Robinette testified that he had a number of conversations with Huettner in an attempt to accommodate the parties. Eventually, he believed that an agreement had been reached.

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Related

Mclaughlin v. Elsberry, Inc.
868 F.2d 1525 (Eleventh Circuit, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
663 F. Supp. 359, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brock-v-elsberry-inc-flmd-1987.