OBI, Ocean Beauty Seafoods Settle Class Action Wages Lawsuit

A federal district court in Washington state has ordered OBI Seafoods and Ocean Beauty Seafoods to pay $2.1 million to resolve a class action lawsuit for paying employees late and underpaying them during mandatory quarantines put into effect during the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman for the Western District of Washington signed the order on Dec. 5, ordering the two seafood processing companies to pay $2.1 million to class action members and $10,000 each to plaintiffs in the case, Marija and Dusan Paunovic, plus related settlement administration costs and attorney fees.

OBI CEO John Hanrahan said in a statement obtained by the publication Seafood Source that his company “values its employees, pays competitive wages, and complies with all federal, state and local wage laws and regulations.”

He did not comment regarding specific terms of the settlement.

Hanrahan did say that all those employed at the company’s facilities in Naknek were paid a daily stipend during the quarantine period, and given free housing, meals and laundry services.

Plaintiffs contended that OBI and Ocean Beauty “knowingly and improperly delayed payment of wages for fish-processing employees, most or all of whom are foreign citizens on H‐2B visas temporarily working in the U.S. far from their homes in Latin America, Asia, and Europe.”

They also contended that the companies failed to adequately compensate employees for time spent in isolation as required by Alaska’s Wage and Hour Act and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

As part of the settlement, each of the more than 2,300 class members will receive at least $536, with some payouts exceeding $3,100.

Source: https://fishermensnews.com/obi-ocean-beauty-seafoods-settle-class-action-wages-lawsuit/