AgReserve $5.2 Million Wage Dispute Will Remain in Federal Court

AgReserves Inc. defeated an employee’s bid to remand his wage dispute to state court, with a ruling by the Northern District of California.

Carlos Rivera, a former AgReserves seasonal farm worker, brought a proposed class action in Kern County Superior Court, accusing the company of violating the California Labor Code. The alleged violations included provisions related to rest and meal breaks, overtime pay, termination wages, and providing employees with accurate wage statements.

AgReserves removed the action to the US District Court for the Northern District of California after arguing that the court possessed jurisdiction because Rivera’s individual claims exceeded $75,000 ...