The Sunnyside company that was found to have systematically discriminated against women employees and engaged in discriminatory practices last year was recently fined $74,642 for violating H-2A visa program requirements, following a U.S. Department of Labor investigation.

Additionally, the department recovered almost $60,000 in unpaid wages for 62 employees working under the temporary visa for agriculture workers. The investigation began in August 2021, and penalties were issued in June of this year. Ostrom has paid the fines...

Workers with Ostrom initially reached out to the United Farm Workers union over bad working conditions and long, irregular hours, said Elizabeth Strater, UFW director of strategic campaigns.

Ostrom misused the H-2A system from day 1, exploiting the workers in predatory ways, Strater said in reference to the company unlawfully shifting the cost of visas onto workers, resulting in a worker paying $10,000 for a visa to work...

The Labor Department’s investigation into Ostrom found that the workers discovered the housing listed in their job order was not available upon arriving...

Workers were instead temporarily housed in a hotel without kitchen amenities and had to buy their own meals...

The mushroom company officials also failed to obtain an inspection of the housing conditions prior to workers moving in, and it did not keep accurate records.

The division fined Ostrom $70,348 for program violations, $1,227 for failing to keep records and obtain a housing inspection before workers arrived, and $3,067 for unlawful cost-shifting...