ST. LOUIS – A federal appeals court ruled that Tyson did not underpay workers for donning and doffing activities.

A three judge panel of the Eighth US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that Tyson Foods has not been underpaying employees working at the company’s Lexington, Neb., plant, according to news reports. The defendants argued that the company should pay for the time workers spend putting on uniforms and safety equipment, and performing sanitizing and other work.

The workers claimed that they were only paid for working on the production line plus four minutes for pre- and post-production work. The defendants said those activities took 30 minutes daily to perform.

Worth Sparkman, a Tyson spokesman, said the company was pleased the Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s verdict in the company’s favor, but declined further comment due to other pending wage and hour litigation. Tyson is also facing lawsuits from workers at the company’s plants in Dakota City, Neb., and Madison, Neb.