$200.2 Million in Settlements Reached in Lawsuit Accusing Red Meat Processing Industry of Wage-Fixing

Attorneys at Hagens Berman announced settlements totaling $200.2 million reached with multiple red meat processing companies in the U.S., seeking to restore employees’ losses from what the lawsuit alleges to be a yearslong period of wage-fixing, restraining the pay of thousands of workers.

The motion filed Sept. 5, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado seeks preliminary approval of settlements reached with National Beef Packing Co. ($14.2 million), Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. ($29.75 million) and Hormel Foods Corp. ($13.5 million) and comprise the seventh, eighth and ninth settlements reached in the case.

The class action brings claims of fraudulent concealment of violation of federal antitrust law, the Sherman Act, and lays out the specific methods the 11 red meat processors allegedly used to fix wages and keep them lower than what the market would dictate.

Together the companies named in this lawsuit produce roughly 80% of the red meat sold in the U.S., and own and operate approximately 140 red meat processing plants in the continental United States.

“We look forward to the court’s preliminary approval of this settlement so that payments can begin to make their way to the class members who rightfully deserve this money,” said Shana Scarlett, partner at Hagens Berman. “Our antitrust team continues to diligently litigate against remaining defendants to secure meaningful recovery.”

Affected employees include those who have occupied various positions along processing lines, including slaughtering and aging, cutting and further processing, repairing processing machines, and supervising processing lines.

About the Meat Industry’s Alleged Wage-Fixing

Hagens Berman first filed the class action in 2022 against a lengthy list of 18 named defendants: JBS USA Food Company, Tyson Foods Inc., Cargill, Hormel, Rochelle Foods LLC, American Foods Group LLC, Triumph Foods LLC, Seaboard Foods LLC, National Beef, Smithfield Foods Inc., Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp., Agri Beef Co., Washington Beef LLC, Purdue Farms Inc., Greater Omaha Packing Co. Inc., Nebraska Beef LTD., Indiana Packers Corporation, Quality Pork Processors Inc., as well as third-party data-sharing firms Agri Stats Inc. and Webber, Meng, Sahl and Company Inc.