Posted June 9, 2015
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Tyson Foods’ challenge to a $5.8 million judgment against the company regarding worker compensation, according to a MeatingPlace article available here. Reuters also published an article available hereand AgWeek here.
The case involves more than 3,300 current and former hourly workers who have been employed at the company’s Storm Lake, Iowa, plant since Feb. 7, 2005. The employees are suing for payment of time spent donning and doffing protective gear before and after line work. 
The case has been watched by the business community, which has sought to limit big-money class action payouts, the court will consider the company’s objection to the use of statistics to determine damages instead of assessing individual damages for each plaintiff. Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, had asked the Supreme Court to take the case, according to AgWeek.
The workers at the Iowa pork facility in Iowa sued in 2007, and the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the judgment in an August 2014 ruling.
The Chamber of Commerce said in its brief backing Tyson that the case gives the court a chance to “address ongoing abuses in class action litigation and to restore proper constitutional limits on lawsuits involving individuals who have suffered no injury.”
Tyson said in a statement on Monday that it asked for the Supreme Court to weigh in because “federal courts of appeal are divided over the requirements necessary to be part of such cases,” according to Reuters.
The employees are represented by Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group.
“Obviously we are disappointed that the court decided to grant review, because our clients prevailed below, but we are confident that when the court analyzes the case, it will conclude that the lower courts applied the correct legal standards and reached the correct result,” Public Citizen attorney Scott Michelman said.
A ruling is expected by June 2016, which is the end of term.
The case is Tyson Foods v. Bouaphakeo, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 14-1146.
For more information on labor law issues, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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