WJCNY’s work reflects our belief that all labor is dignified. No worker deserves to be exploited for their labor despite the economic systems and structures designed to send a message to these workers that they are expendable and their labor invaluable. Yet, their labor is valuable, so valuable that employers are endlessly looking for ways to cheat workers of their wages and their dignity. With every client we serve, WJCNY seeks to elevate the intrinsic value of their labor.

Together with our clients, WJCNY has recently secured successful outcomes for hundreds of individuals in litigation matters involving wage theft, illegal discrimination, violations of the H-2A agricultural guest worker program and substandard farmworker housing. WJCNY continues to place special emphasis on serving NY’s thousands of farmworkers in addition to serving workers all along the food chain, including food processing and food service workers. Across these recent legal victories, WJCNY has secured over $2.5 million to be returned to the pockets of workers during this time of dire economic need among the immigrant communities we serve.

Farmworkers:

In the case of Cardenas et al. v. A.J. Piedimonte Agricultural Development LLC et al., WJCNY obtained a favorable settlement, including $250,000 in compensation, for 48 former employees of an agricultural and food packaging business in Holley, NY who were illegally denied overtime pay, suffered violation of their rights under the regulations governing the H-2A guest worker program and were subjected to unsafe housing conditions. 

This spring, WJCNY filed the first ever private enforcement action, Mein v. Smith Family Farms et al., alleging overtime wage violations for farmworkers since the passage of the Farm Laborer’s Fair Labor Practices Act in 2019 which gave farmworkers the right to overtime. WJCNY obtained a favorable settlement for a farmworker, including payment of owed overtime pay.

Food Processing Workers:

WJCNY obtained a $1.6 million settlement on behalf of nearly 700 current and former employees of New Windsor-based Café Spice {GCT}, Inc.  The case Corea et al. v. Café Spice {GCT}, Inc. et al. addressed our clients’ rights to compensation for unpaid “off the clock” work, illegal pay deductions, and numerous other alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law.

Any current or former employees who would like more information about this settlement should contact the Claims Administrator at 844-329-0033. 

Restaurant Workers:

After a drawn-out legal battle, WJCNY obtained a $900,000 settlement for 11 former employees of the Mount Kisco Diner who brought suit for unpaid wages in the case Morales et al. v. Three Diamond Diner Corp. et al. Claims included racial discrimination and illegal retaliation.  This victory was secured by WJCNY’s legal team after the defendants sought to evade their obligations in a bankruptcy proceeding.