$200.2M Settlement With Beef, Pork Processing Plants Ends Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Wage Suppression

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Ten major United States beef and pork processors have agreed to a combined $200,200,000 settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that alleged the companies unlawfully conspired to suppress the wages of workers at their processing plants.

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The massive $200.2 million beef and pork antitrust settlement covers, with some exceptions, all individuals who, at any point between January 1, 2000 and February 27, 2024, worked at a beef or pork processing plant in the United States for Agri Beef, American Foods Group, Cargill, Hormel, JBS, National Beef, Nebraska Beef, Perdue Farms, Quality Pork, Seaboard Foods, Triumph Foods or Tyson Foods.

Importantly, the class action settlement class includes a subclass of individuals who worked at a processing plant for any of the aforementioned companies between January 1, 2014 and February 27, 2024.

The court-approved website for the Beef and Pork wage-fixing settlement can be found at BeefPorkWages.com.

Of the 22 companies originally charged in the class action lawsuit filed in November 2022, 12 processors and related entities have since agreed to separate settlements. These include:

• A $1.25 million settlement with Perdue Farms; a $10 million settlement with Seaboard Foods; a settlement outlining the cooperation of Webber, Meng, Sahl and Company (WMS); and a cooperation agreement with Triumph Foods;
  • The court granted preliminary approval to the settlement agreements with these four defendants on February 27, 2024.
• A $55 million settlement with JBS USA Food Company; a $72.5 million settlement with Tyson Foods; a $4 million settlement with American Foods Group; a $14.2 million settlement with National Beef Packing Company; a $29.75 million settlement with Cargill (inclusive of Cargill, Inc. and Cargill Meat Solutions); and a $13.5 million combined settlement with Hormel Foods, Rochelle Foods, and Quality Pork Processors.
  • The court granted preliminary approval to the class action settlement agreements with these nine defendants on January 15, 2025.

Related Reading: $87.5M Beef Settlement Ends Antitrust Litigation Over Alleged Price-Fixing by Cargill, Tyson

According to the official settlement website, all beef and pork settlement class members are eligible to receive a one-time, pro-rated cash payment from the settlement. The site explains that those who received a settlement notice by mail or email do not need to do anything to automatically receive their payment, and those who did not receive notice must file a valid, timely claim form to receive payment.

The website notes that class members in the subclass will receive a payment of greater value due to settlements with two additional defendants totaling $11.25 million that apply to the January 1, 2014 through February 27, 2024 class period.

The settlement website provides tools to help consumers determine their eligibility for this class action settlement, including an employer look-up tool that lists the covered companies, facility names and locations.

Individuals unsure of whether they may participate in the class action settlement can use the employer look-up tool on the website to determine their eligibility.

Also available on the settlement website is a list of individuals covered by the settlement. To access the list, you must log in with the unique ID and PIN found on your copy of the beef and pork wages settlement notice.

To submit a claim form online, class members can head to this page, complete each relevant field and attach documentation demonstrating eligibility and employment, including a photo ID, paycheck stub, W9 form or other tax forms.

All beef and pork wage settlement claim forms must be submitted online by October 7, 2026.

It is recommended that class members who received notice of the settlement update their information, including mailing, contact and payment information, to ensure they receive payment from the settlement. To do so, class members will need the unique ID and PIN listed on their copy of the settlement notice.

The deadline for class members who received notice to ask to be excluded from the deal is April 10, 2026.

The court will determine whether to grant final approval to the wage suppression settlement following a hearing on June 4, 2026. Compensation will begin to be distributed to class members only after final approval has been granted and any appeals are resolved.

The beef and pork processing plants class action lawsuit alleged that major meat processing companies in the United States illegally conspired and agreed to collectively keep wages low for processing plant workers, in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Importantly, the site states that the class action lawsuit remains ongoing for the following parties that have not agreed to a settlement: Agri Beef Co.; Agri Stats, Inc.; Greater Omaha Packing Company, Inc.; Indiana Packers Corporation; Smithfield Foods, Inc.; Smithfield Packaged Meats Corporation; and Washington Beef, LLC.

The last two remaining defendants charged in the original complaint—Iowa Premium and Nebraska Beef—were dismissed from the lawsuit without prejudice on September 27, 2023 and March 26, 2025, respectively.

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