Brown v. JBS USA Food Co., No. 1:22-cv-02946 (D. Colo.) Did you work in Beef or Pork Processing Plants between 2000 and 2024? You Could Get Money from Settlements. Beef and pork processing plant workers sued their employers because they believe the companies agreed with each other to keep wages low. This is called a lawsuit. The beef and pork companies deny that they did anything wrong. Some beef and pork companies agreed to pay these employees $202.8 million to stop the lawsuit and avoid further costs and risks. This is called a settlement. If you worked for one of these companies’ beef or pork processing plants between 2000 and 2024, you may be able to get some of this money. Additionally, one company involved in the exchange of information between beef and pork companies has agreed to remove certain information from its pork processing reports. If you were a beef or pork processing plant worker, you have three options: 1. Do nothing. If you do nothing, you will continue to be part of this lawsuit. Your rights will be affected. You may get money. You may still need to fill out a form to get your money. If you need to fill out a form, you must do it by March 26, 2027. You may have some questions about the form. See Questions 14-21. 2. Object to the settlements. You can tell the judge in this case that you do not like the settlements. This is called “objecting.” You have until September 29, 2026 to object to the settlements. You may have some questions about how to object. See Questions 25-28. 3. Opt out of the lawsuit. You can choose to no longer be part of this lawsuit. This is called “opting out.” If you opt out, this lawsuit will not affect your rights. You will not get any money from these settlements. You have until September 29, 2026 to opt out. You may have some questions about how to opt out. See Questions 22-24. If you have questions or need help, please go to www.BeefPorkWages.com or call 1-877-411-4775. This Notice 1. Why did I get a notice? You got a notice because records from the Defendants show you work or used to work at a processing plant for a beef or pork company that was sued in this lawsuit. Some beef and pork companies agreed to pay a total of $202.8 million in settlements to stop this lawsuit and avoid further costs and risks. Additionally, one company has agreed to remove certain information from its pork processing reports. You may be part of the group of people affected, called the “Class.” The Court will hold a hearing on November 13, 2026 at 9 a.m. to decide if it will approve the settlements. Your rights may be affected. 1 2. What do I do next? Read this information to see if you are part of the lawsuit and learn more about the settlements and your choices. Then, decide if you need to take any action. 3. What is this lawsuit about? This lawsuit says that some beef and pork companies agreed with each other to keep wages low for their beef and pork processing plant workers. Two additional companies are also alleged to have exchanged information between the beef and pork companies. The lawsuit says that is against the law and caused workers to make less money than they should have. Several workers sued those beef and pork and other companies. The people who sued are called the “Plaintiffs.” The beef and pork companies they sued are called the “Defendants.” The Defendants deny they did anything wrong. 4. What can I do? You need to decide if you want to: Option Summary Important Date Go to Questions: GET MONEY If you got a notice in the mail or by email, you March 26, 14-21 do not need to do anything to get money, but 2027 you should still update and add your contact, employment, and earnings information here to make sure all of your money from the settlements gets to you. If you did not get a notice, you need to fill out a participation form to get money. If you get money, you can’t sue the Defendants on your own about the claims in this lawsuit. OPT OUT If you opt out of the Class, you will get no September 29, 22-24 money from the settlements. But you can sue 2026 the Defendants on your own about the claims in this lawsuit. OBJECT Tell the Court why you don’t like the September 29, 25-28 settlements. You can do this in writing without 2026 needing to go to Court. You will still be part of the Class, and you will still get money. GO TO A HEARING Go to the hearing. Ask the Court if you can November 13, 31-35 speak about the fairness of the settlements. 2026 at 9 A.M. DO NOTHING If you got a notice in the mail or by email, you 21 will get money. You can’t sue the Defendants on your own about the claims in this lawsuit. 2 5. What is this lawsuit called? This lawsuit is called Brown v. JBS USA Food Co., No. 1:22-cv-02946. 6. What Court is this lawsuit in? This lawsuit is in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. 7. Who is the judge? The judge in this lawsuit is Judge Philip A. Brimmer. 8. What is a class action lawsuit? In a class action lawsuit, one or more people sue on behalf of a larger group. The people who represent the group are called “Class Representatives.” The whole group of people is called a “Class.” Individual people in the class are called “Class Members.” 9. Who are the Class Representatives? The Class Representatives in this lawsuit are Ron Brown, Minka Garmon, and Jessie Croft. 10. Who are the Defendants in this lawsuit? The Defendants in this lawsuit are: • Agri Beef Co. • Agri Stats, Inc. • American Foods Group, LLC • Cargill, Incorporated • Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation • Greater Omaha Packing Company, Inc. • Hormel Foods Corporation • Indiana Packers Corporation • Iowa Premium, LLC • JBS USA Food Company • National Beef Packing Company, LLC • Nebraska Beef, Ltd. • Perdue Farms, Inc. • Quality Pork Processors, Inc. • Rochelle Foods, LLC • Seaboard Foods, LLC • Smithfield Foods, Inc. • Smithfield Packaged Meats Corporation • Triumph Foods, LLC • Tyson Foods, Inc. • Washington Beef, LLC • Webber, Meng, Sahl & Company, Inc. (“WMS”) The following Defendants have reached settlements in this case: Agri Beef Co.; Agri Stats, Inc.; American Foods Group, LLC; Cargill, Incorporated; Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation; Greater Omaha Packing Co., Inc.; Hormel Foods Corporation; Indiana Packers Corporation; JBS USA Food Company; National 3 Beef Packing Company, LLC; Perdue Farms, Inc.; Quality Pork Processors, Inc.; Rochelle Foods, LLC; Seaboard Foods, LLC; Triumph Foods, LLC; Tyson Foods, Inc.; Washington Beef, LLC; and WMS. If the Court approves the settlements and you have not opted out, you will get money if you worked for any of the beef and pork company Defendants listed above, even if the Defendant you worked for has not settled in the case. These settlements are written in documents called “Settlement Agreements.” Each of the Settlement Agreements in this case are available here. The Settlements 11. What do the settlements in this case provide? Some Defendants paid money to settle this case. This is a list of the amounts those Defendants have paid: • Agri Beef Co. and Washington Beef, LLC: $1,400,000 • American Foods Group, LLC: $4,000,000 • Cargill, Incorporated and Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation: $29,750,000 • Greater Omaha Packing Co.: $100,000 • Hormel Foods Corporation, Rochelle Foods, LLC, and Quality Pork Processors, Inc.: $13,500,000 • Indiana Packers Corporation: $1,100,000 • JBS USA Food Company: $55,000,000 • National Beef Packing Company, LLC: $14,200,000 • Perdue Farms, Inc.: $1,250,000 • Seaboard Foods, LLC: $10,000,000 • Tyson Foods, Inc.: $72,500,000 In addition to those payments, many of these Defendants have also agreed to provide cooperation to benefit the Class as part of their settlements. Three Defendants, Agri Stats, Inc., WMS, and Triumph Foods, LLC, settled without payment. As part of those settlements, Agri Stats, Inc., WMS, and Triumph Foods, LLC agreed to provide important cooperation to benefit the Class. Agri Stats, Inc. also agreed to remove certain information from its pork processing reports and make changes to prevent wage-fixing from happening again in the future. The lawsuit continues against Defendants Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Smithfield Packaged Meats Corporation. 12. Why are there settlements in this lawsuit? The Court has not decided who is right. Instead, the Plaintiffs and some Defendants have agreed to settle. A settlement is an agreement to stop the lawsuit. That way, both sides can avoid the costs and risks of a trial, and the people in the Class will get money. The Class Representatives and their attorneys think the settlements are best for the Class. 13. How do I know if I am in the Class? You are generally in the Class if you: • Worked at any Defendant’s beef or pork processing plants, 4 • In the United States, • Between January 1, 2000, and February 27, 2024. You can be part of the Class even if you did not work for a Defendant for the entire time period. If you got a postcard or email notice, records show you are in the Class. If you did not get postcard or email notice, you may still be in the Class: • Click here to see if the records show you are a Class Member. • If your name is not in the records, click here to see if your employer or the place you worked at is on the list. The Settlement Administrator has the right to ask Class Members and anyone who wants to participate in the Class to provide additional documents. If the Settlement Administrator asks you for more documents and you do not provide them, you may not be allowed to participate in these settlements. Still not sure? Get free help: • Call 1-877-411-4775 • Email info@beefporkwages.com • Write to Beef Pork Wages Settlement, c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., P.O. Box 173052, Milwaukee, WI 53217 Getting Money 14. Will I get money from the settlements? If the Court approves the settlements and you are a Class Member who has not opted out, you will get money from the settlements. The settling Defendants will pay $202,800,000 total. That money will be distributed to Class Members, after payments have been made for: • Attorneys’ fees up to 33.33% of the settlements ($67,593,240) plus interest earned on that amount; • Lawsuit costs up to $6 million; • Notice and administration costs up to $4 million; and • Up to a $30,000 service award to each Class Representative. 15. How much money will I get? At this time, it is not known how much money you will get from the settlements. If you worked at any Defendant’s beef or pork processing plants in the United States between January 1, 2000 and February 27, 2024, you are part of the main Class. If you are part of the main Class, you are eligible for payment from settlements with nine Defendants that total $191.55 million . You may also be part of a smaller “Subclass” if you worked at any Defendant’s beef or pork processing plants in the United States between January 1, 2014, and February 27, 2024. If you are part of this Subclass, you are also eligible for payment from settlements with two additional Defendants that total $11.25 million. 5 Money will be paid proportionally (or pro rata) to members of the Class and Subclass. The amount of money you get will depend on: • How many people are in the Class and Subclass, • How long you worked for any of the Defendants’ beef or pork processing plants, • How much money you made, and • How much money the Court approves for lawsuit costs, attorneys’ fees, and Class Representative awards. This is why it is important that you make sure the information we have for you is correct. 16. How can I get money? If You: To Get Money: Got a postcard or email You will get money, but you should still update and add your contact, notice employment, and earnings information here to make sure all your money gets to you. Did not get a postcard or You need to fill out and send in a participation form: email notice • Online: Click here to fill out and submit the participation form. OR • Mail: Print the participation form here or call 1-877-411-4775 to ask for one. Fill out the participation form and mail it to: Beef Pork Wages Settlement c/o A.B. Data, Ltd. P.O. Box 173052 Milwaukee, WI 53217 Your participation form must be submitted online or postmarked by March 26, 2027. If your participation form is approved, you will get money. 17. Is this money taxable and who pays the taxes? Any money you receive will be treated as wages, subject to applicable tax withholding, and may be reported to the taxing authorities and the Settlement Class Member on an IRS Form W-2. Any required payroll taxes will be withheld from your payment and paid by the Settlement Administrator. Check with a tax professional if you have any questions. 18. How do I update my contact, employment, and earnings information? To update or change your contact, employment, and earnings information, you can: 6 • Click here to search for your information in the records. When your information appears, you can update or change your contact, employment, and/or earnings information. • Call 1-877-411-4775. • Email info@beefporkwages.com 19. How will my information be used? If you give personal information to make sure you get the correct payment, your information will be treated as confidential, except for tax reporting purposes. 20. When will I get paid? You will get paid after the settlements are approved and any appeals end. This process can take time. Please check this website for updates. 21. What happens if I stay in the Class? If you stay in the Class (and if you do nothing), you may get money from the settlements. But you will also give up all the claims that were made and all the claims that could have been made in this lawsuit (this is called a “release”). That means that if you stay in the Class, you cannot sue the Defendants on your own for these same claims. The same is true for the Subclass. The claims you are releasing if you stay in the Class or Subclass are described in the Settlement Agreements available here. Opting Out 22. What does it mean to “opt out”? Opting out means to leave a settlement. If you opt out of a settlement, you will not get money from that settlement, and you will not be able to object to that settlement. If you want to sue a Defendant on your own (or with your own lawyer) about the claims in this lawsuit, you must opt out of the settlement with that Defendant. 23. How do I opt out? To opt out, you must mail a letter to the Settlement Administrator by September 29, 2026. You may opt out of one, more than one, or all the settlements. To opt out of particular settlements, your letter should indicate which settlements you would like to opt out of. Your letter must include: • Your name, • Your address, • Your notice ID number (if you have one), • If you want to opt out of all settlements, a sentence saying, “I want to opt out from all of the settlements in Brown v. JBS USA Food Co.” Or, if you only want to opt out of some settlements, a sentence identifying those settlements by writing the name(s) of the Defendant(s), and • Your signature (you must sign the letter). You must mail your opt-out request postmarked no later than September 29, 2026, to: 7 Beef Pork Wages Settlement Attn: Opt Out c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., PO Box 173001 Milwaukee, WI 53217 24. If I opt out from a settlement, can I still get money from that settlement? No. If you opt out from a settlement, you will not get money from that settlement. And if you opt out from all of the settlements, you will not get money from any of the settlements in this case. Objecting 25. What does it mean to “object”? Objecting is when you tell the Court that you don’t like something about a settlement. You must give reasons why you think the Court should not approve it. The Court will consider your views. You can hire your own lawyer to help you, but you don’t have to. 26. How do I object? To object, you must mail a letter to the Court. Your letter must include: • Your name, • Your address, • Your telephone number, • Your notice ID number (if you have one), • The reason(s) you object to one, several, or all of the settlements, • Your lawyer’s name (if you have one), • A statement saying that you object to Brown v. JBS USA Food Co., • A statement saying if you (or your lawyer) want to speak at the hearing, and • Your signature (you must sign the letter). You must mail your objection postmarked no later than September 29, 2026 to these two addresses: Court Settlement Administrator Clerk Beef Pork Wages Settlement United States District Court Attn: Objections District of Colorado c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., Alfred A. Arraj United States PO Box 173052 Courthouse, Room A741 Milwaukee, WI 53217 901 19th Street Denver, CO 80294-3589 27. If I object, will the judge change the settlements? No. The judge cannot change the settlement terms. He can only approve or not approve the settlements as they are. If the judge agrees with your objection, he may not approve the settlements. 8 28. Can I object to a settlement if I opt out of it? No. You cannot object to a settlement if you opt out of it. Lawyers for the Class 29. Do I have a lawyer in this lawsuit? Yes. The judge assigned lawyers from three law firms to represent you and the other Class Members in this lawsuit. The law firms are Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, PLLC; Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP; and Handley Farah & Anderson PLLC. These lawyers are called “Class Counsel.” You will not be charged for these lawyers, and you can contact them for free. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you can hire one, but you may have to pay them. 30. Do I have to pay the lawyers in this lawsuit? No. Class Counsel will ask the judge for attorneys’ fees up to 33.33% of the settlements ($67,593,240) plus interest earned on that amount and reimbursement of lawsuit costs up to $6 million. Class Counsel has not been paid yet for their work on this lawsuit. Class Counsel will also ask the judge for a $30,000 award for each of the Class Representatives. Awards are given to the Class Representatives for their help in moving the case forward. If the judge approves any requests for attorneys’ fees, lawsuit costs, or Class Representative awards, the payments will be made from the settlements. Court Hearing 31. What happens next in this lawsuit? The judge will hold a hearing to decide if he will approve these settlements. The judge’s decision after the hearing will affect the rights of all Class Members. The settlements will only go into effect if the judge approves them and appeals are resolved. If you wish, you may attend the hearing. The hearing is scheduled for November 13, 2026, at 9 a.m. at: United States District Court, District of Colorado Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse Courtroom A701 901 19th Street Denver, CO 80294-3589 The judge may decide to move the hearing to a different date or time. Check www.BeefPorkWages.com for updates. 32. What happens at the hearing? At the hearing, the Court will consider if it will approve the settlements. The Court may consider any objections at that time. The judge will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. The Court may decide how much it wants to pay Class Counsel and the Class Representatives. 9 33. What happens after the hearing? After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the settlements. We do not know how long this decision will take. 34. Do I have to come to the hearing? No. You do not have to come to the hearing, but you are welcome to come at your own cost. If you mail a written objection to the Court on time, the judge will consider it. This is true even if you do not come to the hearing to talk about it. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but you do not have to. 35. Can I ask to speak at the hearing? Yes. You may ask for permission to talk at the hearing. To ask to speak, you must mail a letter to the Court by September 29, 2026. Your letter must include: • Your name, • Your address, • Your telephone number, • A statement saying that you (or your lawyer) want to speak in Brown v. JBS USA Food Co., and • Your signature (you must sign the letter). You must mail your letter postmarked no later than September 29, 2026 to these two addresses: Court Settlement Administrator Clerk Beef Pork Wages Settlement United States District Court Objections District of Colorado c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., Alfred A. Arraj United States PO Box 173052 Courthouse, Room A741 Milwaukee, WI 53217 901 19th Street Denver, CO 80294-3589 Deciding What You Want to Do 36. How do I decide what to do? Your choices are to: • Stay in the Class and get money. o If you got a notice in the mail or by email: You will get money, but you should update and add your contact, employment, and earnings information here to make sure all your money gets to you. o If you did not get a notice by mail or email: Fill out the participation form here to ask for money. You will get money if your participation form is approved. • Stay in the Class and object to the settlements and/or ask to speak at the hearing. 10 • Opt out of all of the settlements or particular settlements. This chart shows the effects of each choice: Stay in Opt Out of Object Class Settlement(s) Can I get money if I . . . YES YES NO Will the Court’s decisions in YES YES NO this lawsuit affect me if I . . . Can I sue the Defendants NO NO YES myself for these claims if I . . . Key Resources 37. How do I get more information? This notice is a summary. More details and documents about the settlements can be found here. You can also get court documents online on the Court Electronic Records (PACER) system or by visiting the Clerk’s office of the Court (address below). If you have more questions: • Call: 1-877-411-4775 • Email: info@beefporkwages.com • Write to: Beef Pork Wages Settlement, c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., PO Box 173052, Milwaukee, WI 53217 What else can I find on this website? • A tool to check if you are in the Class. • A tool to see if the place you worked at is on the list to be a member of the Class. • A tool to check and update your contact, earnings, and employment information. • A participation form (if you aren’t sure if you need one, click here for more information). • Important case documents. • Contact information. Resources List Case website www.BeefPorkWages.com Settlement Beef Pork Wages Settlement Administrator c/o A.B. Data, Ltd., P.O. Box 173052 11 Milwaukee, WI 53217 Phone: 1-877-411-4775 Email: info@beefporkwages.com Class Counsel Shana E. Scarlett George F. Farah Brent W. Johnson Hagens Berman Sobol Handley Farah & Cohen Milstein Sellers (Contact For Free) Shapiro LLP Anderson PLLC & Toll PLLC 715 Hearst Avenue 33 Irving Place 1100 New York Ave. Suite 300 New York, NY 10003 NW, Suite 800 Berkeley, CA 94710 Washington, DC 20005 Court United States District Court District of Colorado Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse 901 19th Street Denver, CO 80294-3589 DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CASE. 12