Workers Settle Lawsuit With Tyson Foods, Inc.

Tyson Foods, Inc. announced that more than 17,000 Tyson poultry workers in 41 plants in 12 states settled a $32 million lawsuit in a 12-year struggle to get paid for work already performed. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), as the union for meatpacking and food processing workers, initiated the suit against Tyson and played a critical role in obtaining justice for Tyson poultry workers and thousands of UFCW members affected by the suit. On September 15, 2011, the United States District Court in Georgia approved the settlement. The lawsuit charged Tyson with violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Meatpacking and food processing workers wear specialized protective gear while they work to protect both themselves and the food we eat. Before these UFCW-initiated lawsuits began, meatpacking companies didn`t pay workers for time spent taking the gear on and off, adding up to thousands of dollars of lost pay over years of work. The lawsuit will result in payments, averaging around $1,000 per worker, to current and former Tyson workers across the country.