Poultry Companies $398M Wage Settlement

Butterball LLC, Foster Poultry Farms, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Inc., Perdue Farms, Inc., Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, Tysons Foods, Inc. and others

If you worked at a poultry processing complex, plant, hatchery, or feed mill operated by certain poultry companies between January 1, 2000, and July 20, 2021, you may be eligible to claim a cash payment from a class action settlement.

Multiple poultry companies have agreed to pay a total of $398.05 million to settle a class action lawsuit for alleged unlawful coordination of employee wages. The lawsuit claims these companies illegally communicated with each other to suppress wages, leading to lower pay for poultry workers.

Who is eligible for a poultry wages payment?

There are two tiers of class members:

Main Class: All workers employed in the United States at any poultry processing complex, plant, hatchery, or feed mill operated by the defendants between January 1, 2000, and July 20, 2021.
Subclass: Workers specifically employed at poultry plants from January 1, 2009, through July 20, 2021 are eligible for additional payments from settlements with three defendants totaling $34.8 million.

How much is the class action settlement payout?

Each eligible class member will receive a pro rata cash payment. Amounts will be determined by the following:

The total number of participating class members.
The length of time each class member worked for the defendants.
Your total earnings during their employment.

How to claim a class action rebate

If you received a notice by mail or email, you do not need to take any action to receive a settlement payment. Class members should visit the settlement website to update their contact, employment, and earnings information to ensure individual payout amount is calculated correctly.

Class members that did not receive a notice, must submit a Participation form by the deadline of October 29, 2025, The form can be submitted online or you can print and download the PDF Participation form and mail it to the settlement administrator.

Settlement Administrator's mailing address: Poultry Wages Settlement, c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., P.O. Box 173016, Milwaukee, WI 53217

Required proof

Class members submitting a Participation Form must provide one of the following as supporting documentation:

A copy of official photo identification (such as a driver's license or employee ID).
A copy of at least one paycheck or paystub from employment with the defendants.

Payout options

Valid class members will receive a paper check mailed to the address provided.

$398.05 Million poultry wages settlement fund

The settlement fund of $398,005,000 will include:

Attorneys' fees: Up to $132,670,065
Attorneys' litigation costs: Up to $8 million
Settlement administration costs: Up to $2 million
Service awards to class representatives: Up to $30,000 each
Payments to valid class members: Remaining settlement funds amount after deductions

Important dates

Fairness Hearing: June 5, 2025
Deadline to File a Participation Form: October 29, 2025

When is the Poultry Wages Settlement payout date?

A fairness hearing for the most recent settlements is scheduled for June 5, 2025. Payments will be issued to eligible class members after the court grants final approval and the participation deadline has passed.

Why poultry companies agreed to settle this lawsuit

The lawsuit alleges that several poultry companies unlawfully coordinated wage rates, resulting in suppressed wages for their workers. Although the defendants deny these allegations, they agreed to settle to avoid the expense of continued litigation or a trial.