A company that provides migrant labor for the forestry industry has agreed to pay $2.75 million to more than 2,200 workers who claimed in a federal lawsuit that they were shortchanged on their wages.

Superior Forestry Service Inc., based in Tilly in southeast Arkansas, and the workers filed the class-action settlement proposal Thursday in U.S. District Court in Nashville, Tenn.

A fairness hearing is set for March 26; U.S. District Judge William J. Haynes, Jr. is expected to grant final approval to the settlement.

Three times during the course of the lawsuit, which was filed in 2006, Superior was cited for contempt for improperly contacting workers who were either involved in the suit or could have joined the court action.

The company provided forestry workers from Mexico and Central America under a federal guest-worker program. The workers planted pine seedlings across the South.

In the settlement, Superior denies any wrongdoing.

"We do not believe that (the workers) were cheated of their pay," Superior attorney T. Harold Pinkley of Nashville said Friday. "They were paid for the hours that they worked. Some were paid on a production-type basis. We believe that was complied with."

Pinkley said the company decided to settle because of the risk it would lose at trial and due to the cost of the litigation. (please click link for full story)