Farm-labor contractor's license revoked by state

YAKIMA, Wash. — The state has revoked the operating license of a California company that provided farm workers for agricultural producers in central Washington's Yakima Valley.

Global Horizons of Los Angeles brought more than 100 temporary agricultural workers from Thailand to the Yakima Valley during each of the past two summers under the federal H-2A guest-worker program. The program allows a labor contractor to bring in foreign workers if it can prove workers can't be found locally.

The state Department of Labor and Industries and the Employment Security Department repeatedly accused the company of violating state wage and labor laws. In a letter to company officials Friday, the agencies served notice they were revoking Global Horizon's license for failing to meet terms of a settlement negotiated in September.

"Because Global has not complied with all actions necessary to cure, we are left with no choice but to revoke Global's farm labor contractor license," the letter said.

The state immediately stopped recruitment and referral services to Global Horizons.

The company's license would have been revoked two weeks after Friday's letter, under state law. However, Global did not apply to renew its license for 2006 by the Dec. 31 deadline, which means the company cannot legally operate in Washington state, L&I spokesman Steve Pierce said Tuesday.

Mordechai Orian, president of Global Horizons, did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Tuesday.

Labor groups had repeatedly faulted the company's practices and cheered the state's latest move.

"We're pleased that the state is finally enforcing the terms of this agreement. It's been a long time coming," said Erik Nicholson, Pacific Northwest regional director for the United Farm Workers of America. "Global has violated a number of state laws, and we think this is an appropriate action."

The state had faulted Global Horizons for failing to pay back wages to 136 Thai workers last year, violating 11 state codes, and failing to comply with basic requirements of state laws designed to protect workers, such as providing adequate housing.

The state also said sufficient numbers of workers were available locally last year through its job-referral system, which would have made foreign workers unnecessary.

The two sides reached a settlement agreement Sept. 22, but the state threatened to revoke the company's operating license in a letter Dec. 20 for violating terms of that agreement.

The state demanded that Global Horizons pay delinquent taxes and premiums, with interest and penalties. The state also ordered the company to sign a contract with an independent third party to investigate and provide reports on the company's treatment of workers, as was required under the settlement.

Global Horizons met each of those requirements to maintain its license. But the company failed to file a certified audit report by Dec. 30, as was demanded in the letter, prompting the state to revoke the company's license.

At the time of the settlement, the state said the agreement provided Global Horizons a "limited opportunity" to continue operating in Washington, but left the door open for the state to immediately revoke its license if the company failed to comply with settlement terms.

Meanwhile, three Yakima Valley farmworkers sued Global and two local growers in federal court in July, alleging the defendants violated state and federal laws by illegally and intentionally displacing the plaintiffs last year with the workers from Thailand.