Washington Wage-and-Hour Class Action Filed Against Agri Beef Co.

A new class action lawsuit highlights common wage-and-hour issues in the meat processing industry across Washington State. The lawsuit against Agri Beef Co. alleges the company engaged in a systematic scheme of wage and hour violations against its hourly-paid or non-exempt employees in Yakima County and throughout Washington.

According to the complaint, employees were regularly required to work more than three consecutive hours without a rest break and more than five consecutive hours without a meal break, without receiving the additional premium pay owed for those missed breaks. The lawsuit further alleges that these missed-break violations also resulted in unpaid minimum wages and unpaid overtime for hours worked beyond 40 in a week.

The complaint also claims that the company made unlawful deductions from employees’ wages by requiring them to incur employer expenses without reimbursement, failed to properly accrue and allow the use of paid sick leave, and failed to pay all wages owed to employees upon termination. The lawsuit further alleges the company failed to maintain accurate payroll records of hours worked, and that these violations were willful rather than the result of clerical error.

The case seeks to proceed as a class action on behalf of current and former hourly-paid or non-exempt employees of Agri Beef Co. in Washington State from three years prior to filing through final resolution, and requests compensatory and exemplary damages, double damages under the Wage Rebate Act, prejudgment and post-judgment interest, and attorneys’ fees under Washington wage laws.