Workers Sued Duarte Nursery and John Duarte in 2015. Their Lawsuit Says They Were Underpaid and Denied Breaks.
Four current and former employees filed the proposed class action on behalf of other workers. A court has not decided the claims, and we have not confirmed how the case ended.
In April 2015, four current and former Duarte Nursery employees filed a proposed class action against the company and its leadership, including John Duarte. Their complaint alleges that the nursery failed to pay all the minimum wages it owed, failed to keep accurate time records, failed to provide rest and meal breaks, and failed to reimburse workers who paid for their own protective equipment.
For hourly farmworkers, those rules carry real money. California requires a paid 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked and a 30-minute meal break for shifts longer than five hours. An employer that fails to provide them owes an extra hour of pay for each workday it happens, according to the state Labor Commissioner’s office.
A court has not decided the claims. As of the docket we reviewed in March 2024, the case had been referred to a settlement conference and remained unresolved. We have not confirmed how it ended.
Alexandra Duarte, a Republican, is running for California State Senate District 4 on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. She is married to former Rep. John Duarte, who has served as the nursery’s president.
Sources
- Stanislaus County Superior Court, Mendez Villegas et al. v. Duarte Nursery Inc. et al., Case No. 2014212, Complaint (Apr. 22, 2015) and docket (accessed Mar. 25, 2024)
- California Department of Industrial Relations, Labor Commissioner’s Office, “Rest Periods” FAQ(opens in new tab)
- California Department of Industrial Relations, Labor Commissioner’s Office, “Meal Periods” FAQ(opens in new tab)
Lawsuit allegations are claims, not findings, unless a court ruled. See something wrong? How to request a correction.
Read more: Alexandra Duarte for Senate: the full record
More from the record
A 2026 Class Action Says Duarte Nursery Didn’t Pay Hourly Workers for All the Time They Worked.
A former plant sorter sued in January 2026 on behalf of the nursery’s hourly workers. Duarte Nursery denies the allegations. After it argued that most of the original claims came too late, she refiled them under a law with a longer deadline.
Pistachio Growers Whose Duarte Trees Failed Asked for Their Money Back. A Judge Found They Were “Left With No Remedy at All.”
A 2022 court decision says John Duarte withdrew a $10-a-tree offer, offered credit for other trees instead, and told a grower he didn’t have the deposit money to return.
An Avocado Grower’s Lawsuit Says DNA Tests Showed Duarte Nursery Sold Him the Wrong Trees.
Richard Stevens’ lawsuit says the 1,000 trees he bought weren’t the rootstock he ordered and couldn’t thrive on his Ventura County farm. Duarte Nursery denied it. The case settled weeks before trial.