H-2A Farmworker Wage Rule Blocked for Louisiana Sugar Cane Jobs

A federal district court partially blocked a US Labor Department rule raising mandated wages for workers on seasonal agricultural visas.

A preliminary injunction granted Thursday by a Western District of Louisiana judge will cover H-2A workers employed in sugar cane farming and processing in Louisiana and those employed by several industry associations named as plaintiffs.

District Court Judge Robert B. Summerhays found in an order that plaintiffs were likely to succeed in advancing claims that the agency had exceeded its statutory authority in revising the wage methodology for those jobs.

Plaintiffs argued in July that the Supreme Court decision overturning ...