Justice Department Sues Sanderson Farms, Wayne Farms, Cargill, And A Data Consultant And Offers A Settlement

Screen shot from a justice department news release.
Screen shot from a justice department news release.

Three days after the announcement that Sanderson Farms combined with two other corporations to form a private chicken processing company, all three are named in a civil lawsuit by the U.S. justice department.

Sanderson Farms operation in Bryan includes chicken processing and a hatchery.

Sanderson Farms, Wayne Farms, and Cargill are accused…along with a Maryland based consulting company…of trading data to limit wages and benefits to employees and chicken producers.

The justice department proposes a settlement that would require the defendants to do among other things, pay a combined $85 million dollars in restitution to affected processing plant employees. Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms would also be prohibited from penalizing chicken growers while still allowing incentives and bonuses.

A news release from the justice department stated the co-defendants “harmed a generation of plant workers who face demanding and sometimes dangerous conditions to earn a living”. This lawsuit is part of a broader investigation into anti-competitive labor market abuses in the poultry processing industry.

Click HERE to read and download the justice department’s news release.

Click HERE to read and download the justice department’s lawsuit.

Click HERE to read and download the justice department’s proposed settlement.

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