"Migrant worker accuses state lawmaker's hop farm of wage theft labor law violations,"

West Michigan Hopyards, which operates farms in the Greenville and Rockford areas, is being sued by a former migrant worker over alleged labor law violations. Credit: File photo

A migrant worker formerly employed by West Michigan Hopyards LLC is accusing the company of wage theft and other labor violations, claims its owners — including a current member of the Michigan House of Representatives — called “politically motivated” and “frivolous.”

Jose Magana Garcia, a migrant worker employed at West Michigan Hopyards from 2015 to 2023, is accusing the business of withholding pay, failing to provide employees access to bathroom facilities, and other Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations, according to a federal lawsuit...

According to documents filed Nov. 6 with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Garcia claims that West Michigan Hopyards failed to compensate him at the end of each working day, as promised.

Garcia worked 10 to 12 hours per day, sometimes longer, but “was not compensated for all hours worked,” nor was he paid in a timely manner, according to court documents...

According to the complaint, Garcia brought the matter to the attention of both owners, who disregarded his concerns...

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