OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge has certified a class-action lawsuit against a Crete, Neb., slaughterhouse, so current and former Farmland Foods employees may be compensated for prep work the company failed to pay them for.
The plaintiffs say that for several years Farmland Foods didn't pay its hourly employees for the time they spent dressing in protective gear, sanitizing tools, sharpening knives and walking to work stations, among other things.
All current and former employees who worked at the slaughterhouse between August 2006 and the present will be notified about the lawsuit, which was filed last year.
Farmland is a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods Inc. of Smithfield, VA.