Immigrant Dairy Workers Often Endure Substandard Housing Conditions. The Law Doesn’t Protect Them

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s lawsuit last month against a large dairy farm over alleged labor abuses, including millions of dollars in unpaid wages, was unusual in more than one way. It was his office’s first wage theft lawsuit against a dairy farm. And it put a spotlight on another issue that’s widespread but rarely addressed: substandard housing for immigrant dairy workers.

According to the attorney general’s complaint, workers at Evergreen Acres Dairy lived in “squalid” conditions, including in converted barns and a garage, that did “not meet Minnesota’s standards for habitability.” Several living spaces lacked heat. There was no toilet in one barn where workers lived. Photos included in the complaint show bathroom and bedroom walls covered in mold, disconnected sink pipes and cockroach infestations.

While the lawsuit targeted a single farm operation outside the Twin Cities, the reality is that substandard housing is widespread on dairy farms across the country. That’s because state and federal laws meant to ensure adequate housing for agricultural workers often exclude those on dairy farms. As a result, employer-provided housing for dairy workers rarely, if ever, gets inspected, certified or even tracked by any government agency...

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Ken Notes: Again wouldn`t it be interesting for Wisconsin to be a national model for housing options for Immigrant Dairy Workers. We should also formally recognize that our cows are milked by immigrants who work hard, will get up at 3AM, always show up for work, and contribute to the industry that built and continues to drive the State. We do not need a wall, we need sound immigration policy that matches those who want to work with available jobs. Oh and if you believe they are taking jobs away from our citizens try hiring someone to work 4AM to 7PM 7 Days a week...