Boars Head could be on the hook for millions after 3 New York distributors allege abusive labor practices

They’re butting heads with Boar’s Head.Three former New York-area Boar’s Head distributors who sued the company years ago over alleged abusive labor policies — claiming the cold-cuts giant exercised “complete control” over them — recently won legal victories in a New York appeals court that could force Boar’s Head to cough up millions in unpaid wages, according to court filings. The distributors – Frank Barone, who ran a Boar’s Head route for 21 years until 2019; Sal Savasta, who was a distributor for 15 years; and Anthony Lercara, who ran a route for six years – were all pressured and harassed into selling their businesses at below-market values after Boar’s Head accused them of racking up too many “purported” violations, they alleged in filings with the New York Appellate Court in Brooklyn. “The shakedowns and bullying tactics of this company are shocking,” the distributors’ attorney Rachel Demarest Gold, of Abrams Fensterman, told The Post.The distributors are arguing in court docs that Boar’s Head effectively treated them like employees.That would make the company subject to dozens of wage and labor laws if the case succeeds — and could entitle the ex-distributors to millions in unpaid wages, according to Demarest Gold.“Our clients allege that these were very difficult, micro-managers to deal with, and that they try to control the major facets of doing business with them without paying them fairly,” said Justin Kelton, also of Abrams Fensterman.The suit marks the latest challenge for the biggest cold-cuts purveyor in the US, which operates in all 50 states, after its image suffered a huge blow when horrific sanitary conditions at one of its manufacturing plants in Virginia resulted in a massive listeria outbreak and 10 customer deaths in 2024.

After dozens of lawsuits over the incident, many of them settled out of court, at least 14 more victims may sue, said food safety attorney Brendan Flaherty.The company, which p...