Gwenn Garland reports for Delmarva Now online that Perdue Farms plant managers and human resources employees are implicated in a putative class-action lawsuit that alleges the poultry company "knowingly hired illegal immigrants, depressing wages for hourly workers in its processing facilities.The plaintiffs in the case are represented by Motley Rice LLC, out of South Carolina, and Jacoby & Meyers LLC and Foster PC.
The plaintiffs essentially allege the defendants, conspired to hire a large number of illegal immigrants, and they argue this was in violation of federal immigration laws as well as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), "and depressed the wages of legal workers below market levels."
Lisa Luna, vice president of corporate communications for the poultry giant believes the suit is without merit. Luna states in the Garland article that '"Perdue follows all hiring laws and uses the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify system to determine an employee's eligibility to work in the US."'
The suit has been filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Alabama Southern Division "on behalf of all hourly-paid workers legally authorized to be employed in the United States who are or have been employed by Perdue Farms since March 2006 at 16 poultry processing facilities."
Garland writes that the plaintiffs are hoping for a financial settlement that would compensate them for the wages that were depressed as a result of hiring illegal immigrants.
To read the Garland article, click here.
Posted: 04/12/10
