Tyson Foods and U.S. government agree on wage and hour plan
The DOL alleged the company violated federal law by not paying overtime compensation to workers for putting on and taking off certain sanitary and protective clothing before and after their production shifts. Company officials denied any wrongdoing and said the case is an example of an ongoing, nationwide legal debate over what types of activities are compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Tyson's position was almost completely vindicated in November 2009 when a federal jury in Birmingham, Alabama found no evidence of a recordkeeping violation by the company and awarded only $250,000 of the $8 million the DOL requested for workers at the Blountsville plant. The money was meant to compensate 3,000 workers for overtime wages over a ten year period.