DETROIT — In a landmark case, a jury awarded over $500,000 to five Guatemalan men who claimed they were exploited and inadequately paid by a labor contractor in Michigan. The men were brought to the U.S. to work in the agricultural sector, planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables.
A significant portion of the financial judgment, approximately $450,000, was issued as punitive damages against the company, Purpose Point Harvesting, for infringing upon an anti-trafficking law.
During the trial at the U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, interpreters were brought in to translate the testimonies of the men from Spanish to English. They recounted their experiences over three seasons, working in Oceana and Newaygo counties from 2017 to 2019, and handling crops like asparagus, apples, and cherries.
Their accounts revealed grueling workweeks sometimes exceeding 100 hours, yet compensation never reflected more than 60 hours. Some nights they worked with headlights to pick asparagus and subsequently sought rest on couches for the night. Attorney Teresa Hendricks highlighted these hardships in her statements.
“They mentioned that if the conditions were unsatisfactory, it was still preferable to what they could earn back in Guatemala,” Hendricks remarked.
Expressing admiration, she stated, “These individuals demonstrated immense courage. They had to stand up for their beliefs in a country unfamiliar to them, in a courtroom full of strangers, laying bare their experiences to a jury.”
However, Purpose Point’s legal representative, Robert Alvarez, stated that other workers provided differing testimonies. “The jury’s decision is shaped by the evidence presented to them. We contest the allegations and eagerly anticipate appealing the decision,” Alvarez responded.
The workers entered the country via the H-2A federal program, permitting farms to employ foreign workers if domestic labor is unavailable. Purpose Point facilitates these arrangements, acting as a liaison between laborers and Michigan farms, and also manages payrolls.
Unbeknownst to many, the company’s head hails from the same Guatemalan region, Malacatán, as the workers themselves. Hendricks pointed out this connection, explaining that such cases rarely reach trial due to the coercive manipulation and fear of retribution faced by the victims, a sentiment echoed by co-counsel Kenya Davis.
Hendricks recounted a night-time encounter with one worker in a cornfield. “Their fears of being sent home prematurely, losing their jobs, and having their visas revoked were tangible and continual threats,” she concluded.