Justice Dept. Renders Decision for Workers’ Comp Case

May 22, 2023

Decree prohibits the exchange of compensation info.

  • The Department of Justice filed a proposed amended complaint and consent decree to resolve claims that George’s Foods LLC conspired with poultry processors for years to suppress workers’ wages by exchanging comp information.
  • George’s Foods provided significant and voluntary cooperation to the Justice Department’s investigation.
  • The department previously reached proposed consent decrees in this matter with poultry processors Cargill, Sanderson Farms, and Wayne Farms.
  • Under the terms of the proposed settlement, George’s must cease sharing competitively sensitive information about poultry processing plant workers’ compensation.
    Read more

Support to Navigate Workers’ Comp

  • The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO offers support for the workers’ comp system through Project HELP.
  • The program educates injured workers on how to navigate the state’s workers’ compensation system and offers workshops explaining this safety net for injured workers and their families.
  • The system is complex and requires a lot of forms to ensure that work injury claims are real and legitimate.
  • Project HELP can help resolve these problems and ensure this safety networks as intended to protect working families.
    Read more

COVID-19 may cause changes in temporary disability

  • Trends in indemnity components in Texas differed between 2016 and 2021, though wages of workers with injuries grew more than 3% per year from 2016 to 2019, according to the WCRI.
  • Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas experienced strong growth in employment and wages across most industry sectors, with the unemployment rate close to the national average.
  • However, as the pandemic struck, businesses were forced to close or limit operations for a time and jobs were lost.
  • This resulted in more limited return-to-work opportunities for workers with injuries; this likely contributed to the increased duration of temporary disability in 2020.|
    Read more

Funds to combat Ohio opioid crisis

  • The U.S. Labor Dept. awarded more than $2.8 million to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to provide employment and training for people affected by the opioid crisis.
  • The department awarded an Opioid Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $8,500,000 — with an initial award of $2,833,333 — to support the state’s efforts to combat the effects of the opioid crisis on workers in the region.
  • These efforts include training and support for social service aides assisting children in foster care due to parental substance use disorders.
  • With this award of $2,833,333, the project’s funding to date is $5,666,666.
    Read more

4