The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained injunctions against three interconnected poultry businesses in California. Following investigations by the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, three companies with joint ownership were shown to have employed minors and committed wage theft by failing to pay overtime. In addition, the companies concerned intimidated and retaliated against workers and falsified documents.
Companies were owned and operated by Tony Brand and partners, operating as Exclusive Poultry Inc., Valtierra Poultry LLC., and Meza Poultry LLC.
During recent months, the Department of Labor has been active in investigating red meat and poultry processors for infractions of child labor laws, withholding overtime wages and other violations of federal law.