WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed a settlement that would resolve claims that George’s Inc. and George’s Foods LLC conspired with other poultry processors to suppress workers’ wages.

The consent decree stipulates that George’s pay $5.8 million in restitution to its workers affected by the alleged conspiracy.

According to the DOJ, George’s provided significant and voluntary cooperation to the investigation. George’s would be restricted from retaliating against employees or third parties who disclosed information to the government if the decree is finalized. The settlement would also prohibit George’s from sharing any competitive information about workers’ compensation going forward.

The company’s cooperation would be held accountable by a court-appointed compliance monitor for the next seven years. The compliance monitor would submit regular reports on George’s. Additionally, the DOJ’s antitrust division would be granted access to inspect George’s facilities and interview employees to ensure the company’s compliance.

This proposed consent decree and competitive impact statement will be published in the Federal Register. Any person can submit a written statement concerning the decree during a 60-day comment period.

George’s is the fourth poultry processor to reach a consent decree, following Cargill, Sanderson Farms and Wayne Farms.