Catherwood LibraryILR School

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health found a California labor contractor, Ruiz Farm Labor, to be in violation of labor laws after the contractor had employees working during an extreme heat wave without proper safety measures. Workers were picking tomatoes in over 100 degree heat, and six workers left before their shifts were over after a supervisor gave them permission to leave early. One worker experienced heat illness symptoms due to working in the high heat. The contractor did not have emergency response procedures in place, and did not provide workers with heat related training. The contractor will be fined over seventeen thousand dollars due to the labor law violation. This is not the first time Ruiz Farm Labor has been in violation of labor laws, and in 2020 the contractor was fined over seven thousand dollars due to safety violations. The contractor is still being investigated for alleged retaliation after firing the six workers who left early.