Fraser Shipyards Inc. Settles Lawsuits With Workers

The Settlement Totals $7.5 Million

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Fraser Shipyards Inc. has reached a settlement with more than 60 workers who were exposed to high levels of lead during a project involving a Great Lakes freighter.

The settlement of $7.5 million resolved all outstanding claims and lawsuits with the workers who were exposed to the lead during a 2016 engine repowering project for the Herbert C. Jackson freighter at the Fraser’s Superior yards.

“We believe that this settlement, which resolves all outstanding claims, is in the best interests of all parties,” said James Farkas, President and Chief Operating Officer of Fraser Industries, the parent company of Fraser Shipyards.

He added: “This agreement, and earlier settlement agreements with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reached with input from unions representing our workers, ensures that we can move forward with a strong commitment to employee protection and business viability, in partnership with OSHA and everyone who earns a living at our 126-year-old family-owned company in Superior. Our business depends on taking the health and safety of our people seriously.”