H-2A Farmworker Wage Rule Dodges Attempt to Block in Court (1)

US Labor Department regulations governing temporary foreign farmworkers’ wages have survived an agricultural employer group’s bid to block them in federal district court.

Chief Judge Martin Reidinger of the US District Court for the Western District of North Carolina found Tuesday that plaintiffs’ argument that DOL failed to consider the costs of the regulation to farmers was not supported. He also ruled against a motion from the agency to dismiss the lawsuit for lack of standing.

The DOL rule, issued in February, requires employers to pay the highest possible wage to workers on H-2A agricultural visas when they perform ...