Unpaid Wage Cases in Watsonville, California
Since 2005 the U.S. Department of Labor has found $582K in back wages owed to 307 workers by Watsonville employers, in 19 cases. Unpaid overtime accounts for 64% of it. The industry with the most back wages is highway, street, and bridge construction.
What workers weren't paid
Industries
Cases with back wages by year
Largest back-wage cases
Granite Construction Company 585 West Beach Street
$149K in back wages to 7 workers
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction · period investigated Dec 2006–May 2008
System USA Inc 512 Casserly Rd
$148K in back wages to 44 workers
Industrial Building Construction · period investigated Jan 2010–Jan 2013
Glez Farms, Inc. 560 Salinas Rd
$123K in back wages to 152 workers
Strawberry Farming · period investigated May 2023–Nov 2023
City of Watsonville 250 Main Street
$32,500 in back wages to 1 worker
Water Supply and Irrigation Systems · period investigated Mar 2023–Mar 2024
Poppy Hill Home 331 SAN LUIS AVE
$30,399 in back wages to 2 workers
Residential Mental Retardation Facilities · period investigated Mar 2022–Mar 2024
Aptos Country Home 8 Mountain View
$19,735 in back wages to 3 workers
Residential Mental Retardation Facilities · period investigated Mar 2022–Mar 2024
Fernandez Farms 400 Carlton Rd.
$18,840 in back wages to 13 workers · $7,148 in penalties
Strawberry Farming · period investigated Apr 2024–Sep 2024
Phillips 66 SEI 38009 1180 Main St
$11,798 in back wages to 9 workers · $6,336 in penalties
Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores · period investigated Nov 2021–Nov 2024 · repeat violator: W
Mandujano Farms 584 Green Valley Road
$11,468 in back wages to 16 workers · $3,200 in penalties
Berry (except Strawberry) Farming · period investigated Mar 2009–Nov 2009
Tom Santoro Transportation, Inc. 867 Airport Blvd
$10,927 in back wages to 12 workers
General Freight Trucking, Local · period investigated Jan 2005–Dec 2006
Most recent cases
Phillips 66 SEI 38009 period ending Nov 2024
$11,798 in back wages to 9 workers · $6,336 in penalties · Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores
Fernandez Farms period ending Sep 2024
$18,840 in back wages to 13 workers · $7,148 in penalties · Strawberry Farming
City of Watsonville period ending Mar 2024
$32,500 in back wages to 1 worker · Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
Aptos Country Home period ending Mar 2024
$19,735 in back wages to 3 workers · Residential Mental Retardation Facilities
Poppy Hill Home period ending Mar 2024
$30,399 in back wages to 2 workers · Residential Mental Retardation Facilities
Glez Farms, Inc. period ending Nov 2023
$123K in back wages to 152 workers · Strawberry Farming
Buenaventura Ranch, LLC period ending Nov 2023
$2,955 in penalties · Strawberry Farming
Reiter Berry Farms period ending Jun 2023
$8,263 in penalties · Strawberry Farming
Nicolas Rubalcaba period ending Apr 2023
1 violation, no back wages · Administration of Housing Programs
Lakeside Organic Gardens period ending Mar 2022
$4,930 in penalties · All Other Crop Farming
Altura Labor, LLC period ending Dec 2020
$1,280 in back wages to 1 worker · Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming
Monterey Mushroom Royal Oaks Facility period ending Jul 2020
1 violation, no back wages · All Other Miscellaneous Crop Farming
Lakeside Organic Gardens period ending Mar 2019
$5,010 in penalties · All Other Crop Farming
Granite Construction Company period ending May 2015
$3,504 in back wages to 1 worker · Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction
Juan Escobar period ending Dec 2014
1 violation, no back wages · Farm Labor Contractors and Crew Leaders
Spring Hills Berry Farm, Inc. period ending Jun 2014
$1,084 in back wages to 11 workers · $1,400 in penalties · Fruit and Tree Nut Farming
California Giant period ending Jun 2014
1 violation, no back wages · Berry (except Strawberry) Farming
Los Gigantes Farms period ending Jun 2014
$4,201 in back wages to 18 workers · $2,150 in penalties · Noncitrus Fruit and Tree Nut Farming
System USA Inc period ending Jan 2013
$148K in back wages to 44 workers · Industrial Building Construction
Food Service Systems period ending Jul 2012
3 violations, no back wages · Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers
If you weren't paid what you're owed
Federal law requires at least the minimum wage and time-and-a-half for hours over 40 a week for most hourly workers, and many states set higher minimums. You can file a free, confidential complaint with the Wage and Hour Division or your state labor department, and you can also sue to recover unpaid wages, often with an equal amount in damages and your attorney fees. Deadlines are generally two to three years under federal law.
Owed wages by a Watsonville employer?
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Source: the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforcement data (every concluded compliance action since fiscal year 2005), from the DOL Open Data Portal, loaded November 9, 2026. “Back wages” is the amount employers agreed to pay workers after an investigation found they were underpaid; dates are the end of the period the investigation covered. Employer names and addresses are as DOL publishes them. Federal cases only: state labor departments and private lawsuits recover more that isn't counted here.
Lawbamba is not affiliated with the Department of Labor, and this page is general information, not legal advice.