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Perdue wage-fixing settlement overview:
- Who: A Maryland federal judge has preliminarily approved a $60.7 million class action settlement made between Perdue Farms and a class of poultry workers.
- Why: The settlement was made to resolve claims Perdue conspired with other meat producers to keep their workers’ wages low.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Maryland federal court.
A federal judge in Maryland has granted preliminary approval to a $60.7 million class action settlement agreed to by Perdue Farms to resolve claims the poultry farming company schemed to ensure wages remained low at its poultry processing plants.
The judge determined that the settlement agreement was “sufficiently fair, reasonable and adequate,” while certifying a class of individuals employed by Perdue, a related entity, and/or one of its subsidiaries at a US poultry facility from between 2000 and July 2021.
Excluded from the class action settlement are managers, human resource managers, salesman, and watchmen who worked at facilities, including poultry hatcheries, poultry processing plants, poultry feed mills, and poultry complexes.
Perdue and the class of workers informed the judge in December that they had come to the agreement, however details about the terms of the settlement were not disclosed at that time, reports Law360.
Perdue accused of working with other meat producers to keep workers’ wages low
Workers in both cases reportedly argued Perdue and other meat producers had conspired to ensure wages stayed low by having their executives secretly meet to discuss details about the wages and benefits they offered.
The class action settlement comes in the wake of a separate agreement — that is yet to receive preliminary approval — made by Perdue to resolve similar claims that had been filed against the company in Colorado, reports Law360.
In July 2021, Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. agreed to pay $29 million to resolve allegations the poultry processing company had conspired with other poultry producers to keep their workers’ wages low.
Have you worked for a company that you believe conspired with others to keep your wages low? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiffs are represented by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, and Handley Farah & Anderson PLLC.
The Perdue wage-fixing class action lawsuit is Jien, et al. v. Perdue Farms Inc., et al., Case No. 1:19-cv-02521, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
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3 thoughts onJudges gives initial approval to $60M Perdue wage-fixing settlement
I believe that the company I work for is actively practicing ‘pay compression’. During this pay period, the new starting wage went up to $13 per hour. One employee, who has been there for over 10 years will now be making $13.50. I’ve been there 2 years and was making $10.50, then $11.50 a few weeks ago after threatening to leave, and then 2 days ago was informed that I now make $13, the same as a brand new 17-year-old who started last week. We are not happy.
I work at perdue been here since 2011 am i eligible how can i apply for settlement
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