According to a new report by House Democrats, the meatpacking industry worked with Trump officials to avoid health restrictions and force employees to continue working.
Tyson Foods has employees that process chicken.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronaviruses Crisis found that Tyson Food drafted an executive order in April 2020 that invoked the Defense Production Act to ensure meatpacking plants continued operations despite the health risks they posed.
The subcommittee claims that the meatpacking industry was aware of the high risk of coronavirus transmission inside plants, but still wanted the Department of Agriculture to deny benefits to employees who didn't go to work or quit because of the outbreak.
The North American Meat Institute said in a statement that the report ignores the rigorous and comprehensive measures companies enacted to protect employees and support their critical infrastructure workers.
This is not a finished story.
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