Wenatchee Based Stemilt Agrees to Pay Workers $3 Million in Settlement

Wenatchee based Stemilt Growers will pay $3 million to settle claims it underpaid workers.

The Capitol Press reports Stemilt has denied any wrongdoing, but agreed to the settlement, which has been approved by a federal court in Richland.

The company was sued three years ago, shortly after the state Supreme Court called for piece-rate farmworkers to be paid for work done in addition to picking crops.

Stemilt has now agreed to pay claims by workers that they were underpaid by the company dating back three years before the court decision.

More than 10,000 workers are eligible to make claims, but the Capitol Press cites the workers' attorney who estimates roughly 3,330 workers will actually apply for the compensation.

A judge previously rejected a settlement Stemilt made with a smaller group of workers, which had a payout 25 times smaller.

The lawsuit was originally filed in Chelan County Superior Court seeking to apply the Supreme Court's decision retroactively to more than 10,000 piece-rate workers.

The Capitol Press reports Stemilt originally agreed to settle with only 1,202 workers who responded to mailed notices and collectively pay them a total of $80,000.