The Supreme Court, on a 6-2 ruling, upheld a decision that Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meatpacker, must pay $5.8 million in a wage dispute involving 3,000 workers at a pork processing plant in Iowa, reports the Associated Press.
The workers sued for pay to cover the time spent putting on protective gear before their shift on the plant floor, and then removing the gear at the end of the shift. In its appeal, Tyson questioned the ability of workers to unite in challenging pay and workplace issues. The AP said it was the second time this year the Supreme Court ruled against businesses in class-action suits.
Tyson and business groups unsuccessfully argued the Supreme Court should restrict the use of statistical evidence in support of employee lawsuits. The majority opinion, by Justice Anthony Kennedy, relied on a 70-year-old precedent that allows workers to use statistical evidence when employers don’t keep adequate record of their hours, said AP.