California labor enforcement secures millions for hospitality and farmworkers

The California Labor Commissioner’s Office has secured two separate settlements and wage recoveries for workers using state labor protections.

In one case, the Anaheim Marriott Hotel reached a $2.75 million settlement following allegations that it violated the 2021 ‘Right to Recall’ law. The law requires hospitality employers to offer open positions to qualified former employees based on seniority following pandemic-era layoffs. The investigation, conducted alongside the union Unite Here Local 11, found that the hotel failed to follow the required seniority-based recall process for 24 hospitality workers.

In a separate enforcement action, the Labor Commissioner’s Office used an expanded crop lien law to recover nearly $10,000 for 11 farmworkers at Valdovinos Farms, LLC in the Coachella Valley. The workers, who harvested moringa, were owed unpaid minimum and contract wages, as well as meal and rest-period premiums. By filing a crop lien under Senate Bill 846, the agency was able to secure payment by placing a preferred lien on the harvested crops or their sale proceeds.