Class-Action Lawsuit Claims Lamb Weston Shorted Worker Pay

A class-action lawsuit has been filed in Washington State against Idaho-based Lamb Weston, Inc.

The suit was filed on Jan. 21 in Benton County Superior Court by Derrick Gilbert, who is an employee at the food processing company, which is one of the world's largest producers and processors of frozen french fries and other frozen potato products.

Gilbert and the suit's co-plaintiffs allege the company is guilty of methodical abuses related to wages and hours worked, including unpaid overtime, improper deductions, and a lack of accounting for sick leave.

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The lawsuit also outlines accusations of Lamb Weston's deliberate incompliance with numerous employment laws in Washington, and contends the company's actions created conditions which were detrimental to employee health, including the denial of state-mandated rest and meal breaks.

Gilbert's suit, which was transferred to U.S. District Court on April 4, seeks $14 million in damages, as well as legal fees.

Lamb Weston is denying the suit's claims and says the accusations have no basis in fact, and that any issues related to the complaint are based solely on individual instances where potential oversights might have occurred and not a willful pattern of misconduct related to state laws.

The company operates seven processing plants and two farm operations in Washington State, including those located in the cities of Connell, Othello, Quincy , and Warden.

The lawsuit's filing comes as the publicly-traded company, which is headquartered in Eagle, Idaho, deals with another suit filed in Ohio last year that claims it intentionally hid problems with a new securities system which led to financial losses for Lamb Weston.