United States Third Circuit

In a case brought by poultry workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) arguing that Tyson does not pay them for the time they spend donning, doffing and washing their work gear, a judgment pursuant to a jury verdict for Tyson is reversed and remanded as, in light of the remedial purpose of the FLSA, it was error for a jury instruction to direct the jury to consider whether the gear was cumbersome, heavy, or required concentration to don and doff in order to be considered "work" under the statute.

Appellate Information

• Argued 07/12/2007
• Decided 09/06/2007
• Published 09/06/2007

Judges

• Before:  SLOVITER, ALDISERT, and ROTH, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Thomas J. Elliott, Frederick P. Santarelli (Argued), Franco A. Corrado, Elliott, Greenleaf & Siedzikowski, Blue Bell, PA, for Appellants., Howard M. Radzely, Solicitor of Labor, Steven J. Mandel, Associate Solicitor, Paul L. Frieden, Counsel for Appellate Litigation, Joanna Hull (Argued), U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC, for Amicus Curiae Appellants, Secretary of Labor.


• For Appellees:
  
• Michael J. Mueller (Argued), Joel M. Cohn, Michael S. McIntosh, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, Washington, DC, for Appellee., Robin S. Conrad, National Chamber Litigation Center, Inc., Washington, DC, Thomas J. Walsh, Jr., Arnold E. Perl, Patrick D. Riederer, Ford & Harrison LLP, Memphis, TN, for Amicus Curiae Appellee, Chamber Commerce of the United States., David R. Wylie, D. Christopher Lauderdale, Jackson Lewis LLP, Greenville, SC, for Amicus Curiae Appellee, National Chicken Council and American Meat Institute.