Zambrano v. Reinert

Rene Zambrano (plaintiff) worked seasonally, from June to October 1999, for Seneca Foods, a Wisconsin vegetable processor. When he sought unemployment benefits, the state applied the 'Cannery Rule,' which denied benefits to seasonal fruit and vegetable processors unless they worked outside the processing season, were otherwise eligible under a specific statute, or had earned over $200 at another job in a defined period. Zambrano met none of these, so the state denied benefits. He sued the state workforce official, Reinert (defendant), claiming the rule violated the federal When Due Clause, the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, and equal protection. The district court granted summary judgment for the state.

Whether Wisconsin's Cannery Rule, which restricts seasonal fruit and vegetable processors' eligibility for unemployment-compensation benefits, violates the Equal Protection Clause.