FAQs

A Monitor is a court-appointed official whose job is to ensure that the Settling Defendants (Cargill, Wayne-Sanderson and George’s) comply with the Final Judgment and the antitrust laws relating to specific parts of the Settling Defendants’ businesses. Here, the Court has appointed a Lead and Deputy Monitor (the “Monitors”). Specifically, the Monitors have “the power and authority to monitor: (1) Settling Defendants’ compliance with the terms of th[e] Final Judgment entered by the Court … and (2) Settling Defendants’ compliance, regarding events occurring after entry of the Stipulation and Order in this case (even if such events began before that date), with the U.S. federal antitrust laws relating to Poultry Processing, Poultry Processing Workers, Growers, integrated Poultry feed, hatcheries, the transportation of Poultry and Poultry products, and the sale of Poultry and Poultry Processing products,” as well as any other powers deemed necessary and appropriate by the court.

Modified Final Judgment § VI(B).

The Monitors power and authority does not extend to monitoring the processing of meat or material other than Poultry, or to operating the Settling Defendants’ businesses. According to the Modified Final Judgment, “poultry means chicken or turkey.”

Modified Final Judgment § II(R).

The Monitors will have the authority to take such reasonable steps as, in the United States’ view, may be necessary to accomplish the Monitors’ duties. The Monitors may seek information from Settling Defendants’ personnel, including in-house counsel, compliance personnel, and internal auditors. If the Monitors have confidence in the quality of the resources, the Monitors may consider the products of Settling Defendants’ processes, such as the results of studies, reviews, sampling and testing methodologies, audits, and analyses conducted by or on behalf of any Settling Defendant, as well as any of Settling Defendants’ internal resources (e.g., legal, compliance, and internal audit), which may assist the Monitors in carrying out the Monitors’ duties). 

Modified Final Judgment, § VI.G.

The Monitors must investigate and report on Settling Defendants’ compliance with this Modified Final Judgment, including those provisions governing Settling Defendants’ communications with Poultry Processors and third parties related to Poultry Processing Worker Compensation information, and Settling Defendants’ compliance, regarding events occurring after entry of the Stipulation and Order in this case (even if such events began before that date), with the U.S. federal antitrust laws relating to Poultry Processing, Poultry Processing Workers, Growers, integrated Poultry feed, hatcheries, the transportation of Poultry and Poultry products, and the sale of Poultry and Poultry Processing products.

Modified Final Judgment, § VI.G.

No.  “The Settling Defendants must not retaliate against any employee or third party, such as a Grower, for disclosing information to the monitor described in Section VI, a government antitrust enforcement agency, or a government legislature.”

Modified Final Judgment, § IV.D.

This website is intended to educate employees, Growers, vendors, agents, and consultants regarding the Modified Final Judgments and provide a portal for potentially impacted individuals to contact the Monitors, so that the Monitors may investigate further, if appropriate.

The Monitors are not involved in any financial recompensation.  Individuals are directed to the following websites to explore if compensation is available in any private class actions: 

• https://www.broilerchickenantitrustlitigation.com/ 
• https://www.overchargedforchicken.com/ 
• https://poultrywages.com/

The Settling Defendants are Cargill, Wayne-Sanderson, and George’s.  The Monitors do not have authority to investigate issues related only to other poultry processors. 

The Monitors can address complaints that Cargill, Wayne-Sanderson, or George’s poultry businesses relating to Poultry Processing, Poultry Processing Workers, Growers, integrated Poultry feed, hatcheries, the transportation of Poultry and Poultry products, and the sale of Poultry and Poultry Processing products, including that the parties’ are not complying with the Modified Final Judgments, or are not complying with the U.S. federal antitrust laws, and may refer complaints to the Department of Justice. 

The Monitors do not have authority to investigate issues, concerns or conduct unrelated to the Modified Final Judgments, the federal antitrust laws, or Cargill, Wayne-Sanderson, or George’s.

The Submit a Complaint link at the top of this page, or here, will take you to a link that will permit you to input as much information as possible about a potential violation of the Modified Final Judgments or federal antitrust laws. You may also upload any documents or materials related to your complaint.

You may also contact the Monitors through email or telephone by using the information on the Contact Us page, linked here. 

The Monitors do not have authority to investigate issues, concerns or conduct unrelated to the Modified Final Judgments, the federal antitrust laws, or Cargill, Wayne-Sanderson, or George’s.

The Monitors will not provide information about your identity to the Settling Defendants, without notice to you and/or your consent. Further, the Modified Final Judgments provide that Cargill, Wayne-Sanderson and George’s cannot retaliate against any employee or third party, such as a Grower, for speaking with or disclosing information to the Monitor, a government antitrust enforcement agency (DOJ), or a government legislature.

Yes, you can submit a complaint anonymously. The Monitors take all complaints provided seriously and will attempt to investigate each complaint that the Monitors have the ability to address. However, without contact information or the ability for the Monitors to follow-up on the anonymous complaint, the Monitors may not be able to verify the information provided, or investigate and substantiate the complaint.

The Monitors will investigate each complaint submitted. Depending on the character, nature, and information provided, the Monitors may or may not seek to discuss the complaint with you shortly after you submit the complaint, if you provided contact information. However, the Monitors will investigate the complaints provided that it has the authority from the court to review. After its investigation, it will make a recommendation to the DOJ, and/or the District Court, regarding Court ordered actions against the Settling Defendant(s).