Agri Stats Settles Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Agricultural data firm Agri Stats has agreed to settle a federal antitrust class-action lawsuit accusing it of helping major U.S. meat processors suppress worker wages by sharing confidential compensation data.

The proposed settlement, filed last week in Colorado, still requires a judge’s approval. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of tens of thousands of red meat processing workers employed at about 140 plants nationwide.

Workers allege that leading processors engaged in a years-long conspiracy to keep wages low, violating federal antitrust law by exchanging sensitive pay information through Agri Stats. Under the agreement, Indiana-based Agri Stats will not pay into a settlement fund but agreed to cooperate with plaintiffs and change how it reports certain labor-related data.

The company denied wrongdoing, saying the settlement avoids the cost and burden of prolonged litigation. Since 2022, workers have secured more than $200 million in settlements from major processors, including Tyson Foods, JBS, and Cargill.

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