Thread: Pilgrim's Pride Co. to pay $4.5 million over illegal workers

Pilgrim's to pay $4.5 million over illegal workers

LOS ANGELES

Mon, Nov 23 2009LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride Corp said on Wednesday it will pay $4.5 million over three years to settle U.S. government allegations that it employed illegal workers at some of its plants.

Pilgrim's Pride entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Texas after raids at five plants in 2007 and 2008 resulted in the arrests of 338 unauthorized workers.

Under the settlement, the company did not admit wrongdoing and no civil or criminal charges were filed against it.

The two-year Justice Department and Immigration probe turned up instances of identity theft by workers seeking jobs at the plants, and of the employment of people not authorized to work in the United States, the company said.

As part of the settlement, Pilgrim's Pride said it would enhance screening procedures to identify undocumented workers more accurately.

(Reporting by Gina Keating, editing by Matthew Lewis)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BT4AV20091230