Poultry companies agree to pay millions in Justice Department settlement

Three major poultry companies have agreed to pay $85 million to processing plant workers under agreements with the Justice Department.

It comes after the Department signed off on a major acquisition we reported earlier in the week between them. Cargill, Wayne Farms, and Sanderson farms will pay millions for what the DOJ called “information exchange conspiracy.”

Cargill told Agri-Pulse, “The merits of this deal outweigh the potential costs of prolonged litigation and any further distraction to our collective efforts to feed communities across the U.S. which is why we’ve agreed to a $15 million settlement of a lawsuit which alleges wage suppression by U.S. turkey and poultry producers to help facilitate its forward movement.”

The DOJ allege the companies suppressed worker pay.

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Story via Steve Davies with Agri-Pulse