Tyson (foods) ordered to pay $250K for labor violations at Alabama plant

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Birmingham Business Journal

by Lauren B. Cooper Staff

A federal court in Birmingham has ordered Tyson Foods Inc. to pay $250,000 for labor violations at its Blountsville facility.

The verdict stems from a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor against the poultry producer alleging Tyson didn’t keep accurate records and didn’t fairly pay employees for time worked starting in 2000 and affecting about 3,000 current and former plant workers.

An investigation of the company began in 2000 as part of the department’s Wage and Hour Division’s poultry enforcement initiative, said a news release.

Tyson officials said the $250,000 verdict was 3 percent of the $8 million the labor department had requested. The investigation looked at whether employees should be paid for time spent putting on and taking off protective clothing and meal time activities.


Read more: http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/11/02/daily41.html

[AllentownJake]

1. The fine is cheaper than the money saved violating the law

The fine is now a cost of doing business.

[dysfunctional press]

2. that was my first thought as well.

[SergeStorms]

6. Tyson execs probably jumped for joy.........

after this verdict. Their "fine" probably equates to 15 minutes of assembly line profit, or less. That'll show 'em. :eyes:

[thelordofhell]

3. Wow, they'll never do that again

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Hubert Flottz]

4. Pissed off workers taking care of America's food supply...

nobody gives a fuck about national security. Greed rules!

[TexasObserver]

5. Recommend

[jtrockville]

7. $83 per person for 9 years of violations?

Damn straight it's cheaper to commit the violation and pay the fine.

[Javaman]

8. $259k? that's a drop in the bucket to them. that's roughly the price

of two production houses to them. They have thousands of them all over the US.

This will do as much hurt to them as a little splinter does to an elephant.