Cargill, Hormel Foods Settle Wage-Fixing Lawsuit

Cargill, Hormel Foods, and National Beef Packing have reached a settlement totaling over $57 million to resolve allegations of wage-fixing among meat processors, denying any wrongdoing. This settlement is part of a broader class-action lawsuit claiming that major meat companies conspired to suppress wages for workers across 140 plants. With this latest agreement, total settlements in the case have exceeded $200 million since the lawsuit was initiated in 2022. Cargill will contribute $29.75 million, Hormel $13.5 million, and National Beef $14.2 million, with all companies citing a desire to avoid further litigation costs. The plaintiffs allege that these companies shared confidential wage data to keep employee compensation below market rates. Earlier settlements included agreements from Tyson Foods and JBS, totaling over $127 million.