Limoneira Co. v. Wirtz

225 F. Supp. 961, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6987
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedMay 29, 1963
DocketCiv. No. 2820-SD-K
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 225 F. Supp. 961 (Limoneira Co. v. Wirtz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Limoneira Co. v. Wirtz, 225 F. Supp. 961, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6987 (S.D. Cal. 1963).

Opinion

KUNZEL, District Judge.

The questions to be decided on defendants’ motion for summary judgment are:

1. Whether there is any basis for plaintiffs’ claim that the Secretary of Labor exceeded his statutory authority in fixing a minimum wage rate to be paid Mexican agricultural workers, hereinafter referred to as “braceros”, by orders of March 29, 1962 and October 19, 1962, and
2. Whether there is any substance to plaintiffs’ claim that Section 503 of the Agricultural Workers Importation Act as amended, 7 U.S.C.A. § 1463, is unconstitutional, necessitating the convening of a three-judge court pursuant to 28 U.S.C.A. § 2282.

As to the claim of unconstitutionality, plaintiffs allege in their complaint that Section 503 of the Act is unconstitutional in that it constitutes an unlawful delegation of legislative power and fails to set forth adequate standards in violation of Article I, Sections 1 and 8 of the Constitution. Plaintiffs conceded in their argument that if the Secretary confined his findings of “adverse ef-[962]*962feet” based upon prevailing wages rather than upon minimum wages, there could be no claim of unconstitutionality. Inasmuch as it is found that there are no grounds for distinction, there can likewise be no claim of unconstitutionality. Over the fourteen-year period of the existence of the Act, no claim of unconstitutionality has been made in any of the reported cases where the Act has been the subject of litigation. This case falls within the purview of such cases as Yakus v. United States, 321 U.S. 414, 64 S.Ct. 660, 88 L.Ed. 834 (1944), and United States v. Rock Royal Co-op., Inc., 307 U.S. 533, 59 S.Ct. 993, 83 L.Ed. 1446 (1939), rather than Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, 295 U.S. 495, 55 S.Ct. 837, 79 L.Ed. 1570 (1935), and Panama Refining Co. v. Ryan, 293 U.S. 388, 55 S.Ct. 241, 79 L.Ed. 446 (1935). In view of the holding that there is no substantial constitutional question, it is not necessary to convene a three-judge court. Wicks v. Southern Pacific Co., 231 F.2d 130 (9th Cir. 1956), cert. denied Wicks v. Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Emp. Southern Pac. Co., 351 U.S. 946, 76 S.Ct. 845, 100 L.Ed. 1471 (1956).

Section 503 of the Act, 7 U.S.C.A. § 1463, provides as follows:

“No workers recruited under this subchapter shall be available for employment in any area unless the Secretary of Labor has determined and certified that (1) sufficient domestic workers who are able, willing, and qualified are not available at the time and place needed to perform the work for which such workers are to be employed, (2) the employment of such workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of domestic agricultural workers similarly employed, and (3) reasonable efforts have been made to attract domestic workers for such employment at wages, standard hours of work, and working conditions comparable to those offered to foreign workers. In carrying out the provisions of (1) and (2) of this section, provision shall be made for consultation with agricultural employers and workers for the purpose of obtaining facts relevant to the supply of domestic farm workers and the wages paid such workers engaged in similar employment. Information with respect to certifications under (1) and (2) shall be posted in the appropriate local public employment offices and such other public places as the Secretary may require.”

Section 501 of the Act, 7 U.S.C.A. § 1461, provides in part as follows:

“For the purpose of assisting in such production of agricultural commodities and products as the Secretary of Agriculture deems necessary, by supplying agricultural workers from the Republic of Mexico (pursuant to arrangements between the United States and the Republic of Mexico or after every practicable effort has been made by the United States to negotiate and reach agreement on such agreements), the Secretary of Labor is authorized — .”

Pursuant to the Act, the Governments of Mexico and the United States entered into a Migrant Labor Agreement in 1951 which was subsequently amended on several occasions. Article 9(a) and Article 15 (a) of the Agreement provides as follows:

“Article 9 PREFERENCE IN EMPLOYMENT FOR UNITED STATES WORKERS
"a) Mexican workers shall not be employed in the United States in any jobs for which domestic workers can be reasonably obtained, or by an employer who is not giving preference in employment to United States domestic workers, or where the Secretary of Labor cannot determine and certify that the employment of Mexican workers would not adversely affect the wages, working conditions and employment opportunities [963]*963of domestic agricultural workers in the United States.”
“Article 15 WAGES

“a) The employer shall pay the Mexican worker not less than the prevailing wage rate paid to domestic workers for similar work at the time the work is performed and in the manner paid within the area of employment, or at the rate specified in the individual work contract which shall be the rate determined by the Secretary of Labor as being necessary to permit him to certify in accordance with the provisions of Article 9(a) of the Agreement, whichever is higher. The determination of the prevailing wage rate will also be made by the Secretary of Labor. The employer and the Mexican worker shall be bound by the Secretary of Labor’s determination of the wage rate required to be paid under this Article, and such determination shall be final and conclusive.”

Plaintiffs state in their memorandum that from 1949 until 1961 the Department of Labor construed “adverse effect” as being measured with reference to the prevailing wage, and that no “adverse effect” was considered to be threatened if “braceros” were paid not less than the prevailing wage rate for domestic agricultural workers similarly employed. Plaintiffs contend that this practice by the Secretary for a period of twelve years, with Congressional approval indicated by the reenactment of the Act at two-year intervals, established the standard that the Secretary is bound to use. They also contend that the 1955 Amendment to Section 503 supports this basis.1 However, plaintiffs do not claim that the wage rates of which they complain are unreasonable.

The action of the Secretary in fixing minimum wages has been the subject of litigation and considerable debate in Congress. Also, there has been much criticism of the Secretary’s action in this regard, both in and out of Congress. See Johnson v. Kirkland, 290 F.2d 440 (5th Cir. 1961), cert. denied, 368 U.S. 889, 82 S.Ct. 142, 7 L.Ed.2d 88 (1961); Rio Hondo Harvesting Ass’n. v. Johnson, 290 F.2d 471 (5th Cir.

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225 F. Supp. 961, 1963 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6987, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/limoneira-co-v-wirtz-casd-1963.