Cargill to Pay $ 1.5 Million to Muslim Workers in Colorado Conflict

DENVER (Reuters) – Cargill Meat Solutions will pay a total of $ 1.5 million to 138 Muslim workers who were fired after leaving their jobs in a dispute over prayer breaks at a Colorado meat packing plant in 2015, said Friday the company.

The dispute arose after workers, mostly Somali immigrants, were fired after staging a three-day strike at a Fort Morgan facility some 75 miles northeast of Denver.

The Federal Commission for Equal Opportunities in Employment (EEOC) said Friday in a statement that it had "a reasonable basis to believe that Somali, African and Muslim employees were harassed, refused their requests for prayer breaks and were dismissed.

The company based in Wichita, Kansas, said in a statement that it disagreed with the findings, but agreed to settle the case to avoid protracted litigation. He added that he was determined to allow "Muslim workers to take short breaks to perform their obligatory prayers".

The EEOC said in a statement that it welcomed Cargill's desire "to achieve a meaningful resolution that will allow all parties to move forward".

Cargill Meat Solutions is a division of Cargill Inc.