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A group of farmworkers in Michigan has filed a lawsuit against their employer, Mastronardi Produce, for exposing them to dangerous chemicals and other violations of their workplace rights. The workers – Benjamin Lopez, Oscar Carlos Lopez Ramirez and Ramona Reyes Saucedo – brought their complaint to a U.S. federal court on behalf of more than 100 migrant and seasonal workers who were not given proper training or protection against chemicals in Mastronardi’s tomato-growing facilities. If their case is successful, it would be a victory for agricultural workers across the United States who are made to labor in unsafe conditions. 

The workers allege that Mastronardi – a Canadian company that grows and sells tomatoes and other produce under the “Sunset” brand in the United States – required them to use a powerful bleach disinfectant in greenhouses that had recently been sprayed down with the pesticide Virkon S. Virkon is a dangerous pesticide, regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, known to cause skin, lung and eye damage. Nonetheless, the workers claim that their supervisors provided them with no information or training about how to work safely with these chemicals, nor with adequate protective equipment, such as safety goggles and gloves. 

In these conditions, the plaintiffs allege that they and many of their co-workers suffered 

nosebleeds, burning eyes, and skin rashes. Instead of helping the workers receive medical attention, however, their managers either ignored the issues or sent workers home without pay. Ms. Reyes Saucedo also says she was asked to hide the pesticide from food safety inspectors. 

In addition to these serious potential violations of Michigan and United States law, the workers are also suing Mastronardi for not paying them their bonuses or overtime salary, not giving them a signed contract, and not providing them with enough clean drinking water at work – all of which are common but illegal practices carried out against migrant and seasonal workers. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more clear than ever why employers must provide their workers with adequate protections. This case shows how this is especially true in the agricultural sector, where toxic chemicals are often used at an industrial scale without consideration of their impact on farmworkers’ health and safety. If you too have been exposed to unsafe conditions, contact Centro de los Derechos del Migrante to defend your rights at work!

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