Then the staffers try to persuade the employers to pay the workers. In about a third of the cases, employers agree. If the growers don't pay, CRLA refers the case to the labor commissioner's office, where employers can be subjected to thousands of dollars in penalties. The labor commissioner's decisions are entered as judgments in superior court on behalf of the workers. But the court filing presents no guarantee of payment.
Dozens sit in courthouses statewide, while employers disappear or claim poverty.
Social service agencies also have tried to help farm workers learn how to stand up for their rights.