craigdailypress.com

A Peruvian sheepherder is scheduled to leave today in an abrupt return to his home country after a payment dispute with his employer.

Hector Rojas-Castillon said he was forced to leave his position as a herder for Ladder Livestock Company in Savery, Wyo., on Monday night after a dispute over money.

Patrick O'Toole, who manages the ranch, declined to comment on the issue.

Kelly Sewell, who owns a ranch that neighbors O'Toole's in Slater, took Rojas-Castillon in on Monday night and helped him book a flight to Peru for this morning.

Rojas-Castillon has worked at the Ladder ranch since March 2005. Sewell said no money has been deposited into Rojas-Castillon's bank account since June.

According to Rojas-Castillon's contract with Ladder Livestock, he is to receive a monthly payment of $700.

"There are labor laws out there," Sewell said. "They're supposed to be given documentation every month of pay."

Dennis Richins, executive director of Western Range, the company that placed Rojas-Castillon with Ladder Livestock, said the issue is part of a larger problem resulting from a shortage of sheepherders.

"Right now, there's a real shortage in the labor force because of oil fields," Richins said.

Richins said oil field companies have been recruiting workers who have come to the U.S. to herd sheep.

Also, wealthier ranchers try to lure sheepherders away from other ranchers, which Richins said may be the case here.

Becky Terry, who fields calls for Western Range, said she hadn't heard from any of O'Toole's other herders.

"It's not in their culture to be aggressive," Sewell said of Peruvians.

Rojas-Castillon said the whole incident made him feel bad.

"If we say something bad to Pat," Rojas-Castillon said with a clap of his hands, "we go back to Peru."

As Rojas-Castillon heads back to Peru today, without three months pay and allegedly nearly only half of his earnings since March 2005, there is no easy resolution for the situation.

Richins said these issues are supposed to be handled between the herder and the owner.

"We bring these guys in to herd sheep and that's what they're supposed to do," Richins said.

But he doesn't believe the story ends there anymore. Richins said competing ranchers and demanding oil fields are seeing the Peruvian workers as another opportunity for help.

"I think the same thing is happening here," Richins said.