"Migrant workers file federal lawsuit against Cheshire farm, alleging abuse of visa program,"

Casertano Greenhouses & Farms in Cheshire brings fresh natural greens to the holiday and Christmas decor of many homes with the help of agricultural workers from Mexico...

In the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Connecticut, the workers allege they were forced to work overtime without pay, take unpaid leaves and pay for their own travel and other expenses, among other claims...

The defendants named in the suit are Casertano Greenhouses and national labor contractor Manzana LLC. Connecticut Public’s efforts to contact Manzana were unsuccessful...

Manzana has been sued at least twice before for systemic abuse of the H-2A program outside of Connecticut, according to Theodore Walter, another Yale law student representing the plaintiffs...

The legal team estimates each worker is owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.

Poblete said the plaintiffs also claim they were forced to take a month of unpaid vacation and accept payment for the work that they did before the vacation upon their return...

Many of the workers took out debts to cover the travel costs and other fees, she said, which exacerbated their economic vulnerability...

In a written statement, Casertano denied the allegations, stating, “Casertano Greenhouses is a family company founded three generations ago by immigrants to this country and we have been a mainstay in our community since 1929. We treat all of our employees with dignity and respect.”

The company said the issue lies with the federal visa program.

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