Tyson Foods Inc. has been found in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act at its Blountsville, Ala., facility. The jury's verdict in federal court in Birmingham resulted from a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor against the company.
The court ordered Tyson to pay $250,000 for the violations.
"This is a victory for workers, and the result of years of dedicated efforts to protecting the rights of working Americans," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.
The Department of Labor's lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The federal department alleged Tyson Foods did not keep accurate records and failed to pay production line employees for the time they spend donning and doffing safety and sanitary gear, and performing other related work activities. The violations span nine years, beginning in 2000 and extending to present day and affect approximately 3,000 current and former plant workers.
The initial investigation began in April 2000 as part of the department's wage and hour division's poultry enforcement initiative. The Labor Department filed the district court complaint in May 2002 following the company's failure to comply with the law and to pay back wages. The first jury trial, which began in February 2009, ended in a mistrial. The Labor Department chose to pursue a second trial in August 2009 to secure a ruling that Tyson was failing to compensate its employees lawfully.
Read the complete release.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment