Labor & Employment
TRLA's Labor and Employment Group represents and advocates for low-income clients in matters relating to labor, employment and farmworker law, and addresses problems and issues within the federal Small Farmers Progam. Attorneys in this Group work on the following teams:
Employment Law
Farmworker Law
Southern Migrant Legal Services (SMLS)
Caitlin Berberich, Group Coordinator
EMPLOYMENT Law
TRLA's Employment Team represents low-wage workers in a broad variety of cases, including claims for unpaid minimum and overtime wages; unlawful discrimination and harassment; family, medical, and pregnancy leave (violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA); workers' compensation; unemployment insurance appeals; human trafficking cases; and other claims under federal and state law. The team also represents workers who have faced retaliation for trying to exercise their rights at work. Along with TRLA's Farm Worker Team, TRLA's Employment Team has recovered millions of dollars in back wages and other compensation for low-wage workers. For more information about the basic rights of workers in Texas, please see TRLA's Fair Pay booklet. The document is also available in Spanish.
Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, Team Manager
farmworker law in texas
TRLA’s Farmworker Team has earned a national reputation for its aggressive advocacy and use of innovative strategies for achieving significant impact for farmworkers’ rights. This team also performs regular outreach to farmworkers to advise them of their labor protections.
farmworker law in the southeast - Southern Migrant Legal Services (SMLS)
SMLS is a special project of Texas RioGrande Legal Aid based in Nashville, Tenn., that provides free legal services to migrant and agricultural workers in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi as well as Tennessee. The Farmworker Team focuses on the impact of employment law matters on agricultural workers, and enforces their rights to promised wages, safe employer-provided transportation and housing, and safe worksites and working conditions (including protections related to pesticide exposure, heat sickness, and field sanitation).
SMLS's work concentrates on the employment-related legal problems of migrant farmworkers including but not limited to:
Underpayment or nonpayment of wages;
Retaliation;
Breach of the employment contract or working arrangement (including for H-2A agricultural workers);
Employment discrimination;
Human trafficking or forced labor;
Employer-provided housing and transportation issues.
Address: 311 Plus Park Blvd, Suite 135, Nashville, TN 37217
Phone (615) 538-0725
Fax (615) 366-3349
Toll Free (866) 721-7828