- Minnesota AG Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against Evergreen Acres Dairy, LLC and affiliated entities and individuals (collectively, “Evergreen”) alleging that the dairy producer violated Minnesota wage and hour laws and rental housing laws by depriving low-wage employees of earned wages and illegally deducting rent for onsite housing that failed to meet standards of habitability.
- In the complaint, AG Ellison alleges that Evergreen exploited the vulnerabilities of its workforce—comprised largely of workers from Mexico with limited or no English proficiency—by underreporting the hours that employees worked on their paystubs, refusing to pay employees their outstanding wages when their employment with Evergreen ceased, and providing onsite housing with squalid and substandard conditions.
- The lawsuit seeks restitution and disgorgement for affected workers, as well as liquidated damages, civil penalties, and an injunction against future, similar violations.