ANNAPOLIS, MD. — Butterball LLC joined the slew of poultry processors who have reached a settlement in a class action lawsuit accusing the companies of wage-fixing.
On Aug. 27, Butterball and the class plaintiffs filed a joint notice of the settlement with the US District Court for the District of Maryland. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The settlement is subject to the court’s approval.
Last week, Hormel Foods’ subsidiary Jennie-O Turkey Store as well as Koch Foods reached settlements in the same wage suppression case. Koch Foods filed its settlement notice on Aug. 20, and Jennie-O filed the following day. Neither filing disclosed the terms of the agreement.
Tyson Foods Inc. and its subsidiary Keystone Foods along with Amick Farms LLC reached their own settlements earlier in August as well.
Other previous settlement agreements include those with Pilgrim’s Pride ($29 million), Simmons Foods ($12 million), George’s ($5.8 million), Peco Foods ($3 million), Cargill ($15 million), Sanderson Farms ($38.3 million), Wayne Farms ($31.5 million), Perdue Farms ($60.65 million), Case Farms ($8.5 million) and Mountaire Farms ($13.5 million).
The poultry processors were accused of violating the Sherman Act by conspiring to suppress hourly wages and salaries for over a decade. The original complaint was filed in 2019.