The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in a 3-0 decision, has ruled that the Department of Labor (DOL) illegally lowered wages and worsened working conditions for cattle herders, sheepherders and goat herders because it bypassed required rulemaking procedures.
in 2011 the DOL updated its regulations on wages and working conditions in the herding industry, but it did so without publishing a notice and then seeking public commentary, the court ruled. The court remanded the case back to a federal judge for further direction.
Department spokesman Egan Reich told the Associated Press that the agency "does not have anything to share on the decision at this time."