Current:Home > MarketsWorkers asked about pay. Then reprisals allegedly began, with a pig's head left at a workstation.-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Workers asked about pay. Then reprisals allegedly began, with a pig's head left at a workstation.
View Date:2024-12-23 22:39:33
Tennessee's biggest pork producer is accused of retaliating against workers who asked about their pay, with one worker allegedly finding a severed pig's head at their workstation, according to the Department of Labor.
The pig's head incident allegedly occurred after the employee had asked about their wages, sparking Tosh Farms LLC management to threaten them with termination. The worker found the animal's head after returning from a meeting with managers, the Labor Department alleges.
Tosh Farms allegedly retaliated against several employees for requesting their wages, with the investigation finding that the workers were assigned tasks outside their normal duties, such as cleaning bathrooms and picking up pig waste.
Asking about one's wages is a protected activity under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and federal law blocks employers from firing or discriminating against employees who have filed a complaint or who are working with the DOL in their investigations, the agency said.
The company's "appalling actions and clear attempts to intimidate and retaliate against its employees will not be tolerated," Tremelle Howard, the DOL's regional solicitor in Atlanta, stated in a news release.
Seth Krantz, the company's veterinarian, refuted the government's allegations and vowed to fight the claims.
"It is important to Tosh Pork that our employees are treated with dignity and respect and that our animals receive proper care," Krantz said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch. "Tosh Pork seeks to follow all federal, state, and local regulations including the Fair Labor Standards Act."
He added, "Tosh Pork denies it engaged in the retaliatory conduct alleged by the DOL per its March 5, 2024 news release and intends to defend itself in court."
The federal agency has filed a complaint and motion seeking a restraining order to stop Tosh and its human resources manager from continuing its alleged retaliation.
DOL investigators found the company owed five workers $39,375 in back wages and assessed $36,731 in civil money penalties.
The family-run business produces swine and grows crops including corn, soybeans and wheat on 18,000 acres in Henry, Tennessee. Its pig business, Tosh Pork, sells its products for national and international distribution to Costco, JBS USA and Kroger, according to the agency.
- In:
- United States Department of Labor
Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- How Alex Jones’ Infowars wound up in the hands of The Onion
- Ulta & Sephora Flash Sales: Get KVD Beauty Eyeliner for $7.50, 50% Off Peter Thomas Roth & More Deals
- Pregnant Mandy Moore Says She’s Being Followed Ahead of Baby No. 3’s Birth
- Instagram introduces teen accounts, other sweeping changes to boost child safety online
- Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
- Winning numbers for Powerball drawing on September 16; jackpot climbs to $165 million
- Miley Cyrus sued over allegations her hit song 'Flowers' copied a Bruno Mars song
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's crossword, You've Come to the Right Place
- Moana 2 Star Dwayne Johnson Shares the Empowering Message Film Sends to Young Girls
- Their relatives died after a Baltimore bridge collapsed. Here's who they blame
Ranking
- FanDuel Sports Network regional channels will be available as add-on subscription on Prime Video
- A teen inmate is bound over for trial in a Wisconsin youth prison counselor’s death
- Takeaways from AP’s report on a new abortion clinic in rural southeast Kansas
- Deputies in a New Orleans suburb kill armed man following 5-hour standoff
- Judge set to rule on whether to scrap Trump’s conviction in hush money case
- Ulta & Sephora Flash Sales: Get KVD Beauty Eyeliner for $7.50, 50% Off Peter Thomas Roth & More Deals
- Legally Blonde’s Ali Larter Shares Why She and Her Family Moved Away From Hollywood
- Édgar Barrera, Bad Bunny and Karol G lead the 2024 Latin Grammy nominations
Recommendation
-
Horoscopes Today, November 10, 2024
-
Kroger and Albertsons prepare to make a final federal court argument for their merger
-
These Zodiac Signs Will Be Affected the Most During the “Trifecta” Super Eclipse on September 17
-
Ex-officer says police 'exaggerated' Tyre Nichols' behavior during traffic stop
-
Two 'incredibly rare' sea serpents seen in Southern California waters months apart
-
Horoscopes Today, September 16, 2024
-
Ulta & Sephora Flash Sales: Get KVD Beauty Eyeliner for $7.50, 50% Off Peter Thomas Roth & More Deals
-
Georgia court rejects local Republican attempt to handpick primary candidates