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A message from League of United Latin American Citizens

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View as web page:
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LULAC National President Meets With UFCW And JBS Meatpacking Company On Fact
Finding Mission
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Leader of Nation’s Oldest & Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Holds Talks
With Labor and CEO, Then Visits Plant in Greeley, Colorado

Washington, DC – Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President held face-to-face talks
with Andre Nogueira, JBS USA Food Company Chief Executive at the company’s world
headquarters in Greeley, Colorado. Wednesday evening, he first met with Kim
Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7 whose union represents workers at the JBS
facility in Greeley. On Thursday, Garcia conducted a firsthand, on-site tour of
the facility to observe for himself conditions for the more than 3,000 workers at
the plant, the majority of whom are Latino.

“Our discussions with Mr. Nogueira and his executive staff were frank and honest,
focusing on making sure that JBS employees are working in the safest conditions
possible while facing a continuing invisible enemy, the coronavirus and I am
encouraged by what I have seen and heard,” said Garcia. “Several weeks ago, LULAC
presented JBS with a very specific list of demands in changes that workers told
us they needed including being provided more personal protection equipment (PPE),
installing partitions in the production areas and slowing down the line to reduce
the risks within an industry hard hit by COVID-19. They also wanted more testing
and assurances that employees who could not work because they were sick would not
lose their pay or be fired. I can tell you from what I have seen today that JBS
met each of the demands, so progress has been made in what is still very much an
on-going process,” added Garcia.

LULAC requested and received unrestricted access to the JBS plant without
preconditions while agreeing to follow the company’s safe distancing policies.
Garcia questioned Nogueira about concerns voiced by both some employees and the
union that the company was placing profit above workers’ safety. Nogueira
informed LULAC that the company’s production quotas and key performance
indicators are suspended at present with the sole focus being worker safety.
Also, that design changes are being made in real time at all JBS sites to deal
with an elusive virus as more is learned about its behavior.

“Our number one goal is the protection of the essential frontline food processing
workers and protecting the quality of America’s food supply.” said Garcia. “JBS
has agreed to give LULAC access to any of its plants across the United States for
our inspection and the company committed to continue this work in progress with
us because there is still more that can be done. LULAC is here to facilitate
dialogue that will lead to solutions to protect Jose y Maria. My takeaway today
from this inspection is how hard everyone is working here to feed our country.
From the men and women on the line to supervisors and management; these are
important essential workers and we want both the industry and labor to come
together to fight this common enemy. It’s in everyone's interest to do this,” he
concluded.

While much progress has been made, screening, testing, contact tracing, PPE,
social distancing, and continued education must become the new normal in the food
processing industry. Also, employees must continue to be guaranteed hazard pay,
full paid sick leave, free and easy access to COVID-19 testing and treatment, and
temporary protective status with pathway to citizens for all essential workers.

LULAC will continue to monitor and track the number of sick employees and
COVID-19 related fatalities across the industry to ensure worker safety remains
the top priority for these companies and we will hold them accountable to ensure
they maintain and continue to enhance their efforts to combat this global
pandemic.

# # #

About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and
oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans
and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000
councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and
advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of
today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org [ [link removed] ] .







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