Improve job sites, Tyson urged

Advocates petition for safer conditions in chicken plants

Advocates calling for safer working conditions at chicken plants handed a petition to Tyson Foods officials on Wednesday.

Magaly Licolli, executive director of Venceremos, a worker advocate group, delivered the petition signed by Tyson workers that asks the company to offer paid sick leave and safer working conditions to its poultry plant workers.

During the pandemic, Licolli said the company failed to protect workers from the virus, resulting in outbreaks at several facilities. Tyson is facing lawsuits filed by the families of workers who grew sick and died.

Labor issues, such as absenteeism and turnover, have slowed production and have been a struggle for the company, Tyson executives said in the company’s latest earnings call. In response, the company began offering wage and bonus incentives in the past month to recruit and retain workers.

In the petition, Venceremos called on Tyson to increase starting wages by $4 per hour, to keep covid-19 protections in place until the pandemic ends, and to offer paid sick leave and unrestricted bathroom access to chicken plant workers. The organization also encouraged Tyson to end its point system attendance policy that allows for firing of employees.

“It’s time for Tyson to respond to workers’ demands,” Licolli said. She and other critics say the company was slow to act when the pandemic began and deaf to workers’ concerns. However, the company has been vocal about its efforts to curb the spread of the virus and to improve working conditions.

Since the start of the pandemic, Tyson execs say the company has spent more than $700 million on covid-19 related costs — including masks, infrared scanners, protective barriers and on-site testing. It has also been encouraging workers to get vaccinated before its requirement that employees be vaccinated takes effect in November.

Fully-vaccinated chicken plant workers are eligible to win $10,000 as part of a weekly drawing this month and can begin earning up to 20 hours of paid sick leave next year, the equivalent of 2.5 days of leave. New hires are eligible for one week of vacation after six months of employment.

Licolli said Tyson is not offering a fair deal. She said all workers have been exposed to the same risk and are in need of permanent changes, not temporary incentives.

In addition to these incentives, Tyson this week raised starting wages at chicken plants in Springdale and Rogers to $15.20 per hour. Workers can earn an extra $2 per hour for night shifts.

The company declined to comment on whether it would consider Venceremos’ petition, but it did clarify a few things. Workers can earn up to nearly $18 an hour in Northwest Arkansas with the company’s recent wage increases, and workers are provided either a 20-minute paid break during their shift or a 30-minute unpaid break at the end of each shift. A Tyson spokesman said in an email that workers are allowed to leave the production floor to use the restroom.