$10M Settlement Reached in Wages Case
$10M Settlement Reached in Wages Case
Settlement Struck in Antitrust Case Alleging Food Companies Suppressed Wages
8/8/2023
By Todd Neeley , DTN Staff Reporter
Connect with Todd: @DTNeeley
A group of current and former employees of several food companies announced a settlement with one of the companies that they allege conspired to suppress wages. (DTN file photo)
LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) — Current and former food company employees suing 11 companies for an alleged conspiracy to suppress employee wages, have asked a federal court to dismiss the case against one of the companies as a result of a settlement agreement and to approve a second cooperation agreement reached with another company.
In November 2022, a group of employees filed a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. That lawsuit alleges a group of food companies conspired to keep wages low, damaging the employees’ future earnings potential.
Companies named in the lawsuit that alleges a conspiracy include JBS USA Food Company, Cargill Inc., Cargill Meat Solutions Corp., Hormel Foods Corp., American Foods Group LLC, Triumph Foods LLC, Seaboard Foods LLC, National Beef Packing Company, Iowa Premium LLC, Smithfield Foods Inc., Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp., Agri Beef Company, Washington Beef LLC, Perdue Farms Inc., Agri Stats Inc. and Webber, Meng, Sahl and Company Inc.
On Monday, the plaintiffs announced a $10 million settlement with Seaboard Foods and an agreement with Triumph Foods to cooperate in the ongoing case against the other companies.
Triumph Foods has agreed to cooperate in the form of "witness testimony, document production and assistance in authenticating and admitting documents into evidence at summary judgment and trial," according to a motion filed on Monday.
So far three settlements and agreements have been reached in the case.
On Dec. 6, 2022, the plaintiffs reached a settlement with Perdue Farms, Inc. for $1.25 million and cooperation with the remaining case.
A motion was filed for preliminary approval of the Perdue settlement on March 6, 2023, but the court has yet to grant approval.
The original lawsuit alleged that since at least 2014 the companies "conspired and combined to fix and depress" compensation to employees at about 140 red meat processing plants across the country, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The companies named in the lawsuit produce about 80% of all red meat sold to U.S. consumers.
The lawsuit said senior executives at the companies established and approved hourly wage rates, annual salaries and employment benefits.
"This highly regimented process for determining compensation allowed defendant processors to compare compensation practices — and collectively suppress compensation