Source:  Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 1/11/11

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied a petition by Kraft Foods unit Oscar Mayer to review a lower-court ruling in favor of employees who sued the company for time spent putting on and taking off protective clothing before and after production shifts, according to documents on the court’s website.

An attorney representing 1,300 current and former employees at Oscar Mayer’s Madison, Wis., production facility told the Wisconsin State Journal that Kraft should dole out some $4 million in back pay.

Syd Lidner, a Kraft spokeswoman, confirmed to Meatingplace in a statement that the Supreme Court’s denial means that the company will proceed with a settlement agreement hatched in the lower-court ruling that prescribes back pay “for time spent changing into and out of work clothes at the beginning of each work day.”

“We value our employees and offer market-leading compensation packages,” Lidner said. “The compensation for clothes-changing time had been a benefit that Kraft Foods previously provided to employeese in the lawsuit. But, the union that represents the employees used the elimination of that benefit to bargain for increased wages in the past.

“With this decision, that benefit is restored to employees. We are happy to put this behind us so we can work together to continue to focus on making high-quality, delicious products for our consumers,” she added.

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