| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 9, 2002 |
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Poultry Worker Mobilization Brings Millions in Back Pay to Perdue Workers Poultry workers have mobilized across the country to demand full pay for the time they work. Today's settlement with Perdue Farms and the U.S. Department of Labor is a step in the right direction for fair pay for some of the nation's most underpaid workers, those in the poultry industry. Over the past four years, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) has reached out and mobilized poultry workers to demand full pay for all the time they work. Set-up, preparation and clean-up time, all required parts of the job have been done "off-the- clock." Cheating workers out of wages for all hours worked not only cuts their regular paychecks, but permanently reduces their retirement benefit under the Perdue Supplemental Retirement Plan. "The UFCW has been fighting for the bedrock American value, pay for all time worked. This settlement appears to be a step in the right direction for Perdue workers receiving all they deserve," said Bill Schmitz, UFCW International Vice President. The UFCW campaign has reached out to workers throughout the industry to educate them about their rights under the law and connected workers with legal counsel when appropriate. Perdue workers filed a lawsuit in December 1999 to demand back pay and pension credit for off-the-clock work. The fight for fair wages in the poultry industry has been a joint effort between the UFCW and organizations like the National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, Jobs with Justice and the Faith and Politics Institute. Numerous members of Congress have been instrumental in the ongoing campaign for full pay for poultry workers. "Today's ruling is only part of the long-term campaign for justice in the poultry industry. The UFCW will continue to fight, with the support of our coalition partners, for better wages, benefits and working conditions for all poultry workers," said Schmitz. UFCW, the nation's largest poultry worker union, represents 1.4 million workers in the retail food, meat packing, poultry, food processing, footwear, garment and textile, health care, and chemical industries. Over 900,000 UFCW members work as clerks and meatcutters in neighborhood supermarkets' a primary outlet for poultry products. |
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