What is the Class Action Settlement?

A group of chicken growers filed a class action suit in 2017 against nearly all U.S. integrators alleging the companies conspired to suppress wages by agreeing not to hire growers from each other.

These are known as “no poach” agreements. Tyson and Perdue have agreed to pay $35.75 million to settle the claims against them. These damages will pay legal and court fees, with the remainder split among the members of the class.

The class includes most chicken growers who were under contract between January 2013 and December 2019, including those who contracted with integrators besides Tyson and Perdue.

Due to variability in farm size and size of the class, the actual amounts a grower will receive are difficult to determine.

What is Opting Out?

The Perdue and Tyson settlement is what’s known as an “opt out” class. That means that any member of the class is considered to be a part of the settlement unless they take the necessary steps to remove themselves from the class by opting out.

Click here to download a sample letter to opt out of the lawsuit.

Click here to learn more about contract growing.

Watch SRAP on Facebook Live

SRAP hosted a Facebook Live on November 22 to discuss this class action settlement and what your options are as a contract grower. Watch the video for valuable insights from members of the SRAP team who worked as contract growers and have had similar experiences.