U.S. Department of Labor investigating Kern County orchard

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Associated Press

SHAFTER, Calif. (AP) - Federal authorities say they are looking into working conditions at a Kern County cherry orchard where more than 100 workers reported they were denied adequate housing and access to safe water.

Workers for Kyle Mathison Orchards Inc. in Shafter say they had no option but to sleep under the trees and bathe in irrigation water last week.

United Farm Workers officials said some of the workers were told they would be given housing if they came from Washington state to pick cherries. But pickers were allegedly ordered to get off the land after they told the UFW and the company said they should pitch tents instead.

Investigators from the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division were en route to the orchard Monday to look into the allegations.

Read more: http://www.kswt.com/Global/story.asp?S=8312656&nav=menu613_2_6

[Plucketeer]

1. This valley - the San Joaquin Valley,

of which Kern Co. is the southern anchor, is as RED an area as one can imagine. You don't EVEN wanna talk labor laws or any of that stuff unless you're ready to fight.