Salcido v. Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. – Unpaid Overtime Settlement

Berger Montague served as co-lead counsel and obtained a $7.5 million settlement for a class of thousands of employees of Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. who alleged that they were forced to work off-the-clock and during their breaks. This is one of the largest settlements of this type of case involving a single meat-packing plant in U.S. history. The case was litigated in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California and captioned Salcido v. Cargill Meat Solutions Corp., Nos. 1:07-cv-01347-LJO-GSA and 1:08-cv-00605-LJO-GSA (E.D. Cal.).

Led by Shanon J. Carson of Berger Montague, the plaintiffs alleged that Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 201, et seq. (“FLSA”), California’s Labor and Business and Professions Codes, and other state laws, by requiring the hourly production and support employees in Cargill’s beef-packing facility in Fresno, California to work substantial amounts of time without compensation (“off-the-clock”) and by failing to provide employees with the meal and rest periods that they were entitled to under California law. The alleged uncompensated time included time spent preparing to begin the work day after the workers arrived at the plant, donning and doffing personal protective clothing and equipment (“PPE”), obtaining and sanitizing safety equipment and gear, obtaining tools, equipment and supplies necessary for the performance of their work, sharpening knives, and walking between work sites.

If you have experienced unpaid wages, unpaid overtime compensation, unreimbursed business expenses, or other wage and hour violations under federal or state laws by your employer, please contact Berger Montague. Our award-winning employment lawyers are available to speak with you free of charge.

About Berger Montague

Berger Montague is a national law firm focusing on complex civil litigation in federal and state courts throughout the United States. For over half a century, Berger Montague has played lead roles in consequential, precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $50 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.