COVID-19 laid bare the meat industry’s chronic worker abuses. Throughout the crisis, meatpacking workers, many of whom are people of color, have been experiencing massive COVID-19 outbreaks in their communities. More than 58,000 meatpacking workers have contracted COVID-19, and hundreds have died.
Smithfield led a coordinated campaign to tell consumers it was protecting workers. But in reality, it wasn’t. Smithfield also scared consumers into thinking national meat shortages were near. That wasn’t true either.
To assuage consumer concerns about worker safety, Smithfield said that it was aggressively protecting meatpacking workers. Through advertisements, social media and website disclosures, the company claimed it was implementing a host of measures to protect workers from COVID-19 — including providing personal protective equipment, relaxing leave policies, and partnering with state and local health departments.
Smithfield’s workers were gravely endangered, and Smithfield slaughterhouses repeatedly emerged as epicenters for COVID-19 outbreaks. Over 3,200 Smithfield employees have contracted COVID-19. According to both workers and government safety regulators, Smithfield was not providing the safety measures it had promised. Smithfield even undermined the efforts of government officials to protect worker safety by failing to report COVID-19 cases among its workforce, and stonewalling efforts to keep workers safe. Smithfield puts workers and our communities in danger and that needs to stop. Are you with us?
For years, Smithfield has been wantonly polluting our air and water with seas of hog waste. Its hog factories have destroyed rivers, killed millions of fish and endangered public health — especially in rural environmental justice communities. Now it won’t even protect its workers.
Food & Water Watch is leading the effort to stop Smithfield’s lies and protect workers, and we’re ready to win! But going up against Smithfield’s entrenched corporate influence won’t be easy, so we’re asking for your help. Donate now to fight Big Ag!
Food & Water Watch and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Action, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate. This email was sent to [email protected] - and we're glad you got it, because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.
