Manufacturing

Food and Food Processing

Employers in the food and food processing industry face unique challenges such as stringent consumer and worker safety requirements and complex wage and hour compliance questions. At the same time, customer demands, including sustainability, GMO concerns, and related calls for heightened social responsibility, are abundant.

We understand that food and food processing businesses operate in a highly-regulated environment where negative publicity and lawsuits can have far-reaching consequences, including an immediate impact on a company’s reputation and bottom line. At all times, we strive to reduce workplace disputes and union issues through preventive measures and to reach optimal and timely solutions in the event of litigation or government action. Some of the services we provide include:

• Representing clients during occupational safety and health enforcement actions and advising on OSHA and local safety and health requirements;
• Advising on all aspects of wage and hour compliance and defending class and collective actions involving “donning and doffing” claims, and other off-the-clock work;
• Assisting clients in working with federal government agencies and achieving their regulatory compliance goals;
• Defending against discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower and other employment-related claims;
• Advising on all aspects of labor relations, including union avoidance, elections, contract negotiations, labor arbitrations and Board charges;
• Formulating employee benefit programs and providing full-service counseling on employee benefits issues including but not limited to issues arising out of multi-employer pension plans;
• Counseling on legislative and regulatory developments as they relate to food processing employers;
• Advising on workforce restructuring and reductions-in-force; and
• Advising on crisis management, including immediate response, gathering evidence and communicating with the press.