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OPA News Release: [03/21/2002]
Contact Name: Geoff
Embler
Phone Number: (202) 693-4650
Poultry Producer Agrees to Pay Back Wages
To Settle a Federal Law
Suit
WASHINGTON -- For the third
time in two years, the U.S. Department of Labor has come to an agreement with a
major poultry producer to pay overtime wages to low-wage members of chicken
catching crews.
Sanderson Farms Inc., with poultry processing plants in Mississippi and
Texas, is the latest company to agree to Labor Department terms. The agreement
calls for Sanderson to pay over $450,000 in back wages and interest to more
than 500 workers.
Improving compliance with labor standards in low-wage industries is a
top priority of Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao's Wage and Hour Division. That
office enforces federal minimum wage and overtime laws.
The Sanderson Farms agreement is a consent injunction that was signed by
U.S. District Judge Walter J. Gex III on March 19. It ends a lawsuit filed by
Labor Department lawyers. The injunction prohibits future violations of the
Fair Labor Standards Act. It is similar to injunctions in two other Labor
Department chicken catcher cases. In those cases, the agency secured
corporate-wide compliance agreements from Perdue Farms, Inc. and the
Continental Grain Company. A fourth lawsuit, against Tyson Foods, has not been
resolved.
Under the latest agreement, Sanderson Farms will also pay back wages to
many workers at all five company plants that use chicken catchers. Those plants
are located in Laurel, Miss., Hazelhurst, Miss., McComb, Miss., Collins, Miss.,
and Bryan, Texas.
For more information about the laws administered by the Wage and Hour
Division, call the Department of Labor's toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE
(1-866-487-9243). Information is also available on the Internet at
www.dol.gov.
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_________________________________________________________________
U.S. Labor Department news releases are accessible on the Internet at
www.dol.gov. The information in this release
will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille,
audio tape or disc)from the COAST office. Please specify which news release
when placing your request. Call 202-693-7773 or TTY 202-693-7755.
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