Dole Foods Workers Sue Because of Pesticide Exposure

About 3,000 Filipino workers spend their days in banana plants run by the Dole Food Company, working with the fruits that come into the headquarters. At Dole, the fruits are treated, labeled, and shipped out to supermarkets all over the nation. Some of the fruits are diced and canned or used in other Dole products that are manufactured at the factory. These workers don’t work in the factory, but at the banana plants that are located across the ocean.

The employees working in this branch of the company recently decided to file a lawsuit against their employers, claiming that they were exposed to dangerous pesticides because the chemicals were on the fruits when they were brought to the factory. The Ventura County Star reports that the plaintiffs were exposed to the pesticides at the banana plantations. The banana plants are all located in the Philippines. They say that the pesticides have been a problem for over 30 years. Dole claims that workers presented a similar lawsuit 13 years ago and it was dismissed by the Philippine’s Supreme Court. Now, the workers have tried again, but they have gotten a similar answer. This time, the case was tried in the United States in Los Angeles, California.

That is because this is where the Dole headquarters is located. Despite the fact that they made a noble effort, the workers were not able to prove that they had suffered extreme harm by being exposed to the chemicals. Only time will tell whether or not the pesticides have adverse effects on their health. For now, the case has been dismissed. If you have been exposed to dangerous chemicals at work, you should seek compensation for any poor health effects that you suffered.