Wayne Farms said it was glad to resolve the matter and the agreement shows its commitment to workers and farmers. Cargill denied wrongdoing but said it settled with the Justice Department to avoid litigation and distractions.
Available in other languages:
Three of the largest U.S. poultry processors have agreed to settle claims by the Justice Department over their alleged longstanding effort to share information about workers in order to drive down compensation. Cargill, Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms have agreed to pay more than $84 million in restitution to workers harmed by the information sharing to resolve civil antitrust lawsuits, according to proposed consent decrees made public Monday.
The government also sued and reached a settlement including a data consulting firm, Webber, Meng, Sahl and Co.
“Through a brazen scheme to exchange wage and benefit information, these poultry processors stifled competition and harmed a generation of plant workers who face demanding and sometimes dangerous conditions to earn a living,” said Doha Mekki of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division in a statement.
Under the agreement, Cargill Meat Solutions is to pay $15 million, Sanderson will pay $38.3 million and Wayne $31.5 million.
The settlement was filed on Monday in a U.S. District Court in Maryland shortly after the lawsuits were filed.
Wayne Farms said it was glad to resolve the matter and the agreement shows its commitment to workers and farmers. Cargill denied wrongdoing but said it settled with the Justice Department to avoid litigation and distractions.
The department also said it had reached a settlement with Cargill and Continental Grain, which closed a deal on Friday to buy Sanderson Farms, the third-largest chicken producer. Sanderson will be combined with Wayne Farms, a Continental Grain subsidiary.
The Justice Department tried this year and failed to
White-Egg Layers Rise in UK
Subscribe now to the poultry technical magazine
AUTHORS
Setting the Global Standard for Soy
Isa Tan
Importance of Eggshell Temperature, Checking and Record Keeping in a Commercial Poultry Hatchery
Rasel Ahmed
The Reality of the South African Egg Industry
Abongile Balarane
Mycoplasmosis update: Antimicrobial Resistance, Vaccines, and Control Challenges
Edgar O. Oviedo Rondón
Future Flock: Antibiotic-Free Solutions for a Rising Population
Dr Ahmad Safi Dr. Faran Hameed
Interview Dr. Nivin Nasser
Dr. Nivin Nasser
Disinfection of Fertile Broiler Breeder Eggs
Edgar O. Oviedo Rondón
Precision Matters: Tackling Quality Issues in on‑Farm Vaccination
Jaime Sarabia Fragoso Kevin Gandon Pascal Paulet
Process Control: 30 Specific Aspects to Evaluate from Pre-Slaughter to Slaughter
Eduardo Cervantes López
Ishikawa Diagram Applied to Processing of Chickens
Eduardo Cervantes López
