You Might Need A Union and The Department of Labor if This Is Left at Your Workstation

“Those are some nice wages you got there, wanna tell me about them?”

That doesen’t seem like a question that should generate a violent response but the U.S Department of Labor had to ask for a restraining order against an employer for retatiating against employees asking about wages…

The department’s Wage and Hour Division found that two Tosh Pork workers who provide animal care to the farm’s pigs cooperated with division investigators after the workers asked their employer about their pay. After Tosh Pork learned of an initial complaint, the employer tasked one employee with cleaning offices and bathrooms – as well as picking up pig waste — activities outside of their normal job duties. After accusing the employee of filing a federal complaint — Tosh Pork allegedly tried to force them to sign a document forbidding them from speaking with other employees about pay issues.

Investigators also learned another worker, who had also asked about their wages, was called to meet with the farm’s management and threatened with termination. Returning to their workstation, they found a severed pig’s head.

(graphic via Adobe Stock)

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a complaint and motion seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent a Henry County farm from allegedly retaliating against two workers who asked about their wages, a protected activity under the Fair Labor Standards Act.