I-TEAM: Local peach farm responds to allegations of withheld wages

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A local peach farm is fighting fire with fire by responding to a news release published by the Department of Labor with its own news release.

Titan Farms not only states the information is not accurate in the Department of Labor’s news release but also adds “It’s unfortunate that the Department of Labor continues to repeat unfounded allegations, some of which they ultimately dropped due to lack of proof.”

Your I-TEAM has been digging into the documents on the case.

This all stems from an old case, alleging Titan Farms withheld wages from workers back in 2018 and 2019.

Titan Farms is the fourth largest employer of H-2A workers in South Carolina.

The H-2A program allows employers to apply for temporary non-US citizen workers every year.

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We showed you over the summer how many of our local farmers depend on H-2A workers during the growing season.

Regulations require employers to pay at least $11.13 an hour.

According to the Department of Labor’s news release put out last week, Titan Farms violated this regulation by requesting workers to make political donations.

Titan Farms responded: “At no point were workers required to make political contributions, nor were any such deductions made from their wages for this purpose. The Department of Labor ultimately dropped that allegation.”

Your I-TEAM did find a judge dismissed the case in 2023 writing, “The parties reached a resolution in this matter obviating the need for a formal hearing.”

We did not find allegations of political contributions made in any of the available court documents, but we did find video of Chalmers Carr, the owner of Titan Farms, testifying at a senate judiciary hearing in 2023.

“Over the last 25 years, we have grown into the second-largest peach operation in the country and we couldn’t done this without participating in the H-2A program,” said Carr at the hearing.

“Food inflation is at an all-time high,” said Carr. “Our imports and dependence on foreign countries for food sources are growing rapidly. The Department of Labor is using a flawed wage methodology.”

The same year, a judge dismissed the case.

Your I-TEAM also found a lawsuit filed against the Department of Labor just a few months ago.

Carr is the president of USA Farmers, the national H-2A association that filed the lawsuit.

“Allow me to share a few impacts from our farm. Under the flawed methodology, this year our wages increased by 14%. This will result in a $2.6 million payroll increase but more importantly, it will raise the cost of our box of peaches by 5%. This is what we call food inflation,” said Carr.

So why did the DOL publish the news release last week about a case a judge dismissed in 2023?

The DOL’s website says it needs the public’s help locating workers owed back wages.

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US Citizenship and Immigration Services collects detailed information about each worker coming into us through the H-2A application process every year.

We asked the Department of Labor if they’re working with immigration to get the info for the workers owed back pay.

We will update you with what they say.

Anyone looking to see if they are owed wages can go to the division’s Workers Owed Wages database.

Callers can communicate with the department by calling 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).

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