(NAFB.com) – Nine of the nation’s largest poultry processors have agreed to pay settlements in a years-long antitrust lawsuit alleging that they conspired to depress workers’ wages at their facilities. The plaintiffs in the class action filed a memorandum on December 23 supporting a motion for preliminary approval of the nine new settlements by the defendants in the case. The suit was filed in 2019 and alleges that chicken companies and two consulting firms conspired to fix and depress hourly wages and benefits dating back to January 1, 2009. The plaintiffs also seek the appointment of a settlement counsel and a stay of the proceedings against the defendants that are settling. The 18 chicken producers named in the lawsuit, along with several of their subsidiaries, produce the majority of chicken sold in the U.S. Feedstuffs says the motion seeks approval of nine settlements, including Tyson Foods and Keystone Foods paying a combined $115 million.