Dear John,
Trump issued an order last week demanding meat processing plants -- which are hotbeds for coronavirus -- remain open.
Incredibly, his order did not require meatpacking companies to follow mandatory safety guidance despite the fact that at least 5,000 meat processing plant workers have tested positive for COVID-19. Trump’s order forces these plants to stay open, jeopardizing worker safety -- and it’s all to benefit giant meat companies like Tyson, Smithfield, JBS and Cargill.
We must demand these companies stop contributing to the public health threat. And we need your help to ramp up the pressure on them to act.
Demand meat corporations like Tyson and Smithfield stop putting their workers and communities at risk!
Meat production is not an essential business. In fact, we should be shifting away from industrial meat production anyway -- it’s contributing to diet-related diseases that are making people more vulnerable to COVID-19. Plus, factory farming is a disaster for the environment.
But it’s even more urgent to rein in this industry now. 90% of the COVID-19 cases in Black Hawk County, Iowa are linked to Tyson’s facility. At another Tyson plant in Indiana, 890 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. If meatpacking plants are forced open without making major improvements to worker safety, we’ll witness many more cases like these.
Trump should never have forced meatpacking plants to stay open. But if they are open, Tyson, Smithfield, JBS, and Cargill must provide testing to all workers and mandate at least six feet of distance between workers, provide all workers with access to handwashing stations, ensure workers are aware of their right to stay home if they or a family member is ill, and ensure they are compensated and guaranteed job security during their absence. Workers must be protected from repercussions if they report violations, and slaughter line speeds must be slowed down to ensure worker safety.
But these corporations won’t act unless they feel a groundswell of pressure from the public. Can I count on you to act, John?
Take action now: Hold Tyson, Smithfield, JBS, and Cargill accountable for protecting the health of their workers and communities!
Trump and these meat corporations are willing to put workers’ lives on the line to make sure that supermarket shelves are well stocked with bacon and cheeseburgers. They are sending a loud and clear message that food chain workers -- mostly people of color -- are expendable. Now it’s up to you to step up and show this is not true.
While the country is at a standstill because of the pandemic, meat processing plant workers are still expected to go to work each day. These workers are entitled to safety and paid sick leave. Corporations like Tyson and Smithfield must be held accountable to their employees. It’s up to people like you to pressure them to act.
Send a message to meat corporation CEOs: Tell them to protect their workers and public health!
Standing with you,
Chloë Waterman,
Climate-friendly food campaign program manager,
Friends of the Earth
