Case 3:13-cv-00043-GEC Document 51-3 Filed 06/01/15 Page 1 of 7 Pageid#: 289 Ex. 3 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA CHARLOTTESVILLE DIVISION CARLOS HUMBERTO CAB SIQUIC et al., on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, Civil Action No. 3:13-cv-00043-GEC CLASS ACTION v. STAR FORESTRY, LLC et al., Defendants. Affidavit of Carlos Humberto Cab Siquic 1. My name is Carlos Humberto Cab Siquic. I am one of the Plaintiffs in this case against Star Forestry, LLC; Independent Labor Services, LLC; White Pine Reforestation, LLC; Devin Spears-Thomas; and Amy Spears-Thomas. I have personal knowledge of the facts of this affidavit. 2. My permanent address is: Aldea Chirreocob, Municipio San Juan Chamelco, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. 3. I worked for the defendants under an H-2B visa. I worked for them between the years 2005 and 2013. 4. I worked in crews of 15 people. 5. My experience was similar to the others’. We all did the same job (which depended on the season) and we received less than what the boss told us he was going to pay us. Nobody was reimbursed for the cost of arranging the visa nor for the flights. We spoke among ourselves about the salary they paid us, and it was always less than what was promised. We all have suffered the same injustice. 6. I worked for the defendants in Minnesota, Alabama, Utah, Virginia, Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. I worked under six different crew leaders: Glendon in 2012-2013, Willi Cano in 2011, Hector Herrera in 2009-2010, Marcos Cuz Xoc in 2008. (Fidelino [Lino] in 1006 and Aaron Herrera in 2005). There were always the same problems with payment. They offered us $30 for 1000 planted pines, but then they only paid us $22 for 1000. Once, we talked to the boss about why he didn’t pay us with a check because we wanted to know how he was subtracting from us. He said “It is too expensive to pay with checks”. That is what he told us in the mid of my season by Case 3:13-cv-00043-GEC Document 51-3 Filed 06/01/15 Page 2 of 7 Pageid#: 290 February 2009-2010; it was in Amite, Louisiana. He himself subtracted from our payments, and that is why the payment was so low. 7. Every year I worked for the defendants, I had to pay for mi ticket to the United States, and for the visa costs, and for transportation in Guatemala, and other related expenses. Every year, I had to pay for my ticket to the capital, and arriving there in the capital I had to pay Q3200 just to arrange with the recruiter Guillermo Sazo. The flight was between Q7500 and Q8000 round trip. One year, I pay Q9272 for the flight; I think it was in 2009 or 2010. Nobody reimbursed me for those expenses, not one cent. 8. I traveled to Guatemala with other of the defendants’ workers, and all told me they paid them the same amount. From what I know, the companies never reimbursed anybody for the visa costs or for the trip. We all had the same problem, that is, they never reimbursed us, not one cent. 9. I never received from the recruiter any written document that explained the job’s terms and conditions. Last time I came to the United States, in the embassy, they provided us information about H-2B workers’ rights, but the recruiter never gave us any document. 10. In my job for the defendants, I worked in a pine plantation, cleaning the pines and selecting them, cutting them, and in a nursery. 11. When I was working planting pine, typically I worked from seven a.m. to six p.m. I worked seven days a week; generally I rested two or three days a month. There was only a brief break of ten minutes to eat lunch. That is why, I think I typically worked approximately 70 hours per week when I planted pines. 12. We left the hotel at 5:30 in the morning to pick up the pine in the nursery. Sometimes, they sent us to work far away, and we left at 4:30 in the morning. We started to plant at 7:00. We had to travel from one place to the other, from one state to the other. We had to walk, carrying the pines, when the land was far. We finished work at 6:00 in the afternoon, and we came back generally between 6:30 and 8 in the afternoon. They didn’t pay us for the time we traveled to the lands from one place to the other. For example, in November of 2012 we traveled from Minnesota to Alabama, and they didn’t pay us for those hours. They didn’t pay us for the time we had to walk when the land was far. 13. The pine season started in August and September sticking paper to protect the pines’ tips; from October to May, we worked in the plantation. 14. Supposedly, the defendants paid us for planted tree, and they said they paid us $30 for 1000. 15. Sometimes, each person kept track in a piece of paper. Then we compared the piece of paper with what we received in cash. Once, we asked the boss why there was a difference between our records and the payment. He said “I have to discount for gas, hotel, etc.” Generally, I received $500-$600 every two weeks. Once, we only received $75 for two weeks; that was in Arkansas. 16. They never paid me overtime/ half time, taking in account the long hours I worked and the little they paid me. 17. They always paid us in cash, and I never received a payment check. Since they never gave me a check, I never had a record of the hours the companies said I worked, nor the pines they said I planted. Case 3:13-cv-00043-GEC Document 51-3 Filed 06/01/15 Page 3 of 7 Pageid#: 291 18. They said they discounted from our payments for the hotel costs where we stayed, and for the gas cost for the companies’ transportation, but I never knew how much they discounted for these expenses because they never gave me any document showing how much they were discounted. At the payment time, they said to us “I have to discount”, but they never said how much they have discounted. Maybe they discounted $50 weekly for the hotels. Once, near Jackson, Florida, they kicked us out of the hotel because Devin hadn’t paid for the hotel. We called and called the boss, and he didn’t answer until three p.m. Also, once, near Orlando, Florida, we slept in our vehicles in the parking lot of Walmart because when we arrived to the hotel, there was no reservation, although the boss told is he had booked the hotel. In other occasions, I had to pay for all the hotel room costs. 19. Every year I worked, they paid me less and less frequently. From June to August of 2010, I worked for one season in Florida with a weed eater cleaning the land. The boss told is he was going to pay us $12-$15 per hour. He only paid me $400 or $500 for the 15 days. That was the payment for everybody. Also from this last trip, the boss owned me 101 hours for planting grass in the ocean. It was in Louisiana in 2013. He offered to us an extension and salary, and pay for the flight because the visa expired. Finally, I only received $300 only. He didn’t say how much he paid for the flight, he only discounted it from the payment. 20. There were some occasions when we worked and he didn’t pay us anything. He sent us to work in the snow between Oklahoma and Arkansas, I think it was in 2010, and the small pines didn’t stick to the ground. He ordered us to plant them again without paying us. The boss bought more pines, and he discounted $200 from the payment of each one of us. 21. In 2009, the worker called Ricardo Xo Tzi died. Ricardo said the job was hard; he worked hard. The day he dies, we went to work at 6:30 in the afternoon, and at 10:45 at night he died. I think he died because of exhaustion. I think the company sent his body to Guatemala. Once Ricardo’s wife talked to me on the phone, and told me she never received anything from the salary the boss owned Ricardo nor money for the funeral. 22. I think the rest hired with the H-2B visa who worked for the defendants received an unfair payment like me. We have suffered the same problems with the defendants in this case. 23. I understand I have filed this lawsuit as a representative of all the H2B works employed by the defendants. I have done this because my claims are the same experienced by the workers in that class. I am willing to represent the interests of all my fellow coworkers in this case. I swear under penalty of perjury under the laws of the Unites Stated that the foregoing is true to the best of my memory. ______________________________________ Carlos Humberto Cab Siquic Case Document 51-3 Filed 06/01/15 Page 4 of 7 Pageid#: 292 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA CHARLOTTESVILLE DIVISION CARLOS HUMBERTO CAB SIQUIC et on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, Civil Action No. 3 v. I CLASS ACTION STAR FORESTRY, LLC et al., Defendants. Deciaraeion jurada de Carlos Humberto Cab Siquic 1. Me llamo Carlos Humberto Cab Siquic. Soy uno de los demandantes en este caso contra Star Forestry, Independent Labor Services, White Pine Reforestation, Devin Spears-Thomas; Amy Spears-Thomas. Tengo conocimiento personal de los hechos en esta deelaracion. 2. Mi direccion permanente es: Aldea Chirreocob, Municipio San Juan Chamelco, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. 3. Trabajaba por Ios demandados bajo una visa I-I-2B. Trabajaba por ellos en los a?os 2005- 2013. 4. Trabajaba en cuadrillas de 15 personas. 5. Mi experiencia era parecida a la de los demas. Todos haciamos el mismo trabajo (que dependia de la temporada) recibiamos menos de lo que el patron nos decia que nos iba a pager. Nadie era recompensado ni por el costo de arreglar la visa ni por los vuelos. Hablabamos entre nosotros sobre el salario que nos pagaban, siempre era menos de lo prometido. Todos hemos sufrido la misma injusticia. 6. Trabajaba por los demandados en Minnesota, Alabama, Utah, Virginia, Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma Tennessee. Trahajaba bajo seis distintos supervisores: Glendon en 2012-2013, Willi Cano en 2011, Hector Herrera en 2009?2010, Marcos Cuz Xoc en 2008. (Fidelino [Lino] en 2006 Aaron Herrera en 2005.) Siempre habia los mismos problemas con el pago. Nos ofrecio $30 por 1000 pinos plantados, pero despu?s solo nos pagaba $22 per 1000. Una vez hablamos con el patron sobre por que no pagaba eon cheque porque queriamos saber como nos estaba descentando. E1 nos dijo, <>. Asi nos dijo en la mitad de mi temporada por alli de febrero (16 2009-2010; fue en Amite, Louisana. 131 mismo nos descontaba de los pagos por eso el page era bajo. 7. Cada a?o que yo trabajaba por los demandados, tenia que pager mi pasaje a los EE.UU. los eostos de visa el transporte dentro de Guatemala, otros gastos asociados. Cada a?o Case Document 51-3 Filed 06/01/15 Page 5 of 7 Pageid#: 293 tenia que pagar mi pasaje a la capital, Hegando alla en la capital tenia que pagar Q3 200 nada mas per arreglar con el reclutor Guillermo Sazo. El vuelo me salio de Q7500 0 Q8000 ida vuelta. Un a?o pagu? Q9272 por el vuelo; creo que fue en 2009 2010. Nadie me reembolsaba per estos gastos, ning?n centavo. 8. Viajaba de Guatemala con otros trabajadores de los demandados todos me decian que habian pagado lo mismo. Que yo sepa, las compa?ias nunca reembolsaren a nadie por los gastos de la visa 0 e1 viaje. A tedos teniamos el mismo problema que nunca nos reembolsaron, ningr?m centavo. 9. Nunca reeibi de reclutor ning?n documento eson'to que me explicaba los t?rminos cendieiones del trabajo. La ?ltima vez que vine a les .EE. UU., en la embajada nos dieron informacion sobre los derechos de los trabajadores pero e1 reclutor nunca nos die un documento. 10. En mi trabajo por los demandados, trabajaba en la plantacion del pine, en limpiar pines pines, en copar pines, en una nursen'a. 11. Cuande trabajaba plantando pines, tipioamente trabajaba de las siete de la ma?ana hasta las seis de la tarde. Trabaj aba los seis a siete dias a la semana; generahnente dos tres dias a1 Ines desoansaba. Solo habia un breve descanso de diez minutes para comer e1 almuerzo. Por eso, creo que tipicamente trabajaba aproximadamente 70 horas por semana cuando plantaba pines. I 12. Saliamos del hotel a las 5:30 de la ma?ana para recoger los pines en la nurserl'a. A veoes nos mandaba a trabajar lejos sall'amos a las 4:30 de la ma?ana. Empezabamos a plantar a las 7:00. Tenl'amos que viajar de un lugar a otro, do an estado a otro. Tem?amos que . caminar, cargande los pines, cuando estaba 1e jos e1 terreno. Tenninabames de trabajar a 1 las 6:00 de la tarde regresabamos generalmente entre las 6:30 las 8 de la tarde. No I nos pagaba por el tiempo que estabames viajando a los terrenos de un Iugar a otro lugar. Per ejemplo, en noviembre de 2012 viajamos do Minnesota at Alabama no nos page per estas horas. No nos pagaba por el tiempo que tenl?ames que carnjnar cuando estaba lej es el terreno. 13. la temporada de pines empezaba en agosto septiembre oon pegar los papeles para proteger a les puntitos de los pines; de ectubre hasta mayo trabaj abamos en la plantaeion. 1 14. Supuestamente los demandados nos pagaban por arbol plantado, decian que nos pagaban a $30 per 1000. i 15. A veoes cada persona llevaba un control en una hoja. Despu?s compar?bamos la hoja con lo que recibl'amos en efeotivo. Una vez preguntamos a1 patron por que habl'a una diferencia entre nuestras cuentas el page. E1 respondio <> pero nunca decia cuanto habia descentado. Quizas descentaba $50 semanal per los heteles. Una vez cerca de Jackson, Florida nos sacaren per afuera del hotel porque Devin no habia pagade por el hotel. Llamames llamamos a1 patr?n no nos conteste hasta las tres de la tarde. Tambi?n una vez cerca de Orlando, Florida dormimes dentro de nuestros vehiculos en el estacienamiento de Walmart porque cuando llegamos at hotel no hube reservacion, aunque el patron nos dijo que habia reservado el hotel. En etras ecasiones, tuve que pagar yo per todo el gasto del cuarto del hotel. I Cada a?o que trabaj?, me pagaron memos con menes frecuencia. De junio 3 agosto de 2010 trabaj? per una temperada en Florida con un weedeater limpiando terreno. El patron nos dije que nos iba a pagar $12-$15 per hora. Solo me page $400 0 $500 per 105 15 dias. El page asi era para tedos. Tambi?n de este filtimo viajc, e1 patron me debe 10] horas per plantar pastes adentre del mar. Fue en Louisiana en 2013. N05 ofrecio una extension sueldo pagar por el vuele per que vencio la visa. En el ?n solo recibi $300, nada mas. N0 nos dije cuanto page per e1 vuele, solo lo quite del page. . Habia ocasiones cuande trabajabamos no nos pagaba nada. Nos mando a trabajar en la nieve entre Oklahoma Arkansas, creo que fue en 2010, los pim'tos no se pegaren en la tierra. Nos mando a replantar sin pagamos. El patron compro mas pines descento $200 del page de cada une de nosotres. En el a?o 2009 fallecio e1 trabajador de nombre Ricardo Xe Tzi. Ricardo decia que el trabajo era duro; ?l trabajaba duro. El dia que fallecio, vinimos del trabajo a las 6:30 de la tarde alas l0z45 de la noche ya fallecio. Cree que fue por el cansancie. Cree que la compa?ia mando su cuerpo para Guatemala. Una vez la se?ora de Ricardo me hablo per tel?fone me dije que nunca recibio nada del sueldo que el patron debia a Ricardo ni nada de dinero para cl entierre. Cree que les demas contratados con la visa que trabajaban per 105 demandados recibian el page injusto igual come ye. Hemes sufrido igual see 105 mismes problemas con los demandados en este case. Entiende que he presentado esta demanda come representante de todos les trabajaderes H2B que empleaban les demandados. Lo he hecho porque mis reclamos son los mismes que las experiencias de los trabajadores en esa clase. Estey dispuesto a representar les intereses de todos mis cempa?eres de trabajo en este case. Case 3:13-cv-00043-GEC Document 51-3 Filed 06/01/15 Page 7 of 7 Pageid#: 295 Translator’s Affidavit I certify that I am fluent in Spanish and English. I certify that I have reviewed the Spanish and English versions of the attached document, and that the English is a true and accurate translate of the Spanish. Translator: Diana Galarreta-Aima