This Popular Canned Tuna Brand Is Getting Sued For A Truly Sickening Reason

Bumble Bee Foods, known for being one of the leading brands for canned tuna, is being sued for allegedly benefitting from forced labor and other forms of abuse onboard fishing vessels from which the company sources its tuna. The lawsuit was filed on March 12 by four Indonesian men, who worked on three vessels supplying tuna for Bumble Bee Foods.

The lawsuit claims that, while out at sea, the men were physically abused and kept onboard against their will. The abuse alleged included being denied medical care after serious injuries and being denied food and water. The men also assert that the working conditions were overall dangerous.

Agnieszka Fryszman, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, spoke to CNN about the alleged abuse suffered by the fishermen. Fryszman said, "Fishing vessels never really have to go port, so the men are really, really stuck. It makes it very easy to engage in forced labor and trafficking." Bumble Bee Foods provided a statement to CNN, in which it stated that it will not be commenting on the lawsuit.

Since the lawsuit asserts that Bumble Bee Foods imported seafood that was caught using forced labor, it implies that the company violated U.S. human trafficking laws. The men are claiming that they were kept at sea for months at a time with no way to leave. Two of the complainants also allege being forced to continue working after suffering serious injuries.

Furthermore, they claim that Bumble Bee Foods engaged in debt bondage, which would mean that large portions of their salaries were withheld. This would have left the workers with very little pay and, beyond that, they were supposedly threatened with hefty fees if they decided to quit. Additionally, the men allege that they were physically abused by ship captains, including stabbing with needles, beating, and lashing. The complaint outlines that the fisherman are not only looking for monetary damages but also want to see new workplace safety policies established.

As if the pending lawsuit weren't reason enough to reconsider eating Bumble Bee Foods tuna, its solid white albacore tuna in olive oil is on our list of some of the unhealthiest store-bought canned tunas that you can buy. Bumble Bee is far from the only company to face allegations of mistreating workers — for example, Cracker Barrel has faced several scandals, including alleged sexual harassment faced by workers. Plus, one of the things that Olive Garden doesn't want you to know is that it faced payment discrimination claims.