September 18, 2024
Dangerous and illegal child labor, millions in wages stolen from California poultry plant workers. Check if you are owed back pay!
After poultry workers stood up and reported illegal working conditions to the government, a federal court in Los Angeles decided one of the largest wage violation settlements ever for U.S. poultry workers. The federal court ordered the owners and operators of several California poultry processors and distributors to pay $4.8 million in back pay and damages to 476 workers. They also had to pay $221,919 in fines after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) found that the companies had violated many employment laws, including regulations on child labor. DOL’s investigation found that poultry companies were employing children as young as 14 years old to debone poultry using razor-sharp knives. This is a violation of federal child labor laws. The investigation also found that workers were denied overtime wages, even though they worked more than 40 hours in a week and were entitled to overtime.
DOL also found that the companies tried to illegally interfere with the investigation. After the investigation started in January 2024, the supervisors at some facilities retaliated against the workers for reporting the illegal conditions to DOL, calling them derogatory terms and changing the terms of their employment. It also found that the companies falsified payroll records in an attempt to stop the investigation. Retaliating against workers for reporting illegal conditions like these is prohibited under U.S. law.
The federal court decision requires these companies to pay more than $1.8 million in back pay and $3 million in damages to affected workers. The settlement also requires the employers to give up $1 million in profits that they earned selling poultry processed with child labor. The employers must also pay $171,919 in fines specifically for violating laws that regulate child labor.
The court’s order forbids the companies’ owners and their associates from continuing to violate the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the future. The federal court also ordered one of the employers to provide training on the FLSA to all managers and supervisors, and to hire an independent third-party to monitor their compliance with FLSA.
Some of the businesses that are part of the settlement are located in Monterey Park, El Monte, and Irwindale, California, and include A1 Meat Solutions, Inc., Lotus Plus Inc., Farmers Process Inc., Duffey Poultry Inc., L & Y Food Inc., JRC Culinary Group, and Moon Poultry Inc.
DOL’s website includes a search tool where you can check if you are owed back pay collected by DOL. You can also call DOL with questions and concerns at 1-866-4-US-WAGE (487-9243). You can also download the U.S. Department’s Timesheet App, which is available for free in English and Spanish, to make sure your hours worked and pay are accurate.
If you would like to learn more about your rights at work in the United States, you can call Centro de los Derechos del Migrante at 800-590-1773 from Mexico or 1-855-234-9699 from the United States. If you would like to speak with someone in Mixteco, you can reach us at 953-554-0517 (from Mexico). Our services are free and confidential.
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