Sheepherder Sues Rancher Group Over Wage, Antitrust Violations

A sheepherder from Peru is accusing ranchers of wage fixing and antitrust violations in a new class action.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of Nevada alleges that ranches represented by the Western Range Association have colluded to suppress wages, creating an artificial shortage of domestic workers that allows the industry to rely on the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program.

The H-2A program allows foreign workers to fill agriculture and herding jobs on a seasonal and temporary basis. The number of visas issued under the program—which has no cap—has soared in recent years, reaching ...